The Carolina Panthers have traded CB Donte Jackson and a sixth-round pick (178th overall) to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for WR Diontae Johnson and a seventh-round pick (240th overall)
The past couple seasons for Johnson in Pittsburgh have been . . . underwhelming, to put it nicely. Since being drafted by the Steelers in the third round of the 2019 draft, Johnson has had a polarizing career. He has consistently been among one of the best route runners in the league, but has also had issues concerning his lapses in concentration and level of effort. A change of scenery combined with a role as the clear WR1 might be just what Johnson needs to put it all together. At the same time, going to a team that is quickly turning into one of the most downtrodden and poorly run in the league might compound Johnson’s past shortcomings and lead to a quick ending to his time in Carolina.
With new leadership in place for both the Panthers’ front office and coaching staff, early roster moves have shown that the team is doing their best to address 2023’s biggest weaknesses on the offensive side of the ball, while perhaps creating more holes on defense. (Specifically, trading away Brian Burns for the 39th pick in this year’s draft and a fifth-round pick next year, after reportedly having two first-round picks on the table for him last year.) Will 2024 see Johnson’s full potential realized, as well as Bryce Young’s career salvaged in Carolina, or is this a situation to avoid entirely?
Earlier in the offseason, Neil Dutton wrote an excellent article detailing Young’s rookie season and his fantasy potential moving forward. If you have not read it yet, I urge you to do so before reading on.
