The Baltimore Ravens apparently got sick and tired of watching former Carolina Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson reel off big plays against them during his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, so they decided to pick him up via a trade as soon as they could.
Johnson was dealt to Baltimore from a rebuilding Carolina team along with a sixth-round pick in exchange for a fifth-round pick. In essence, the Ravens are moving back about 20 spots in the draft order to take Johnson, which is a huge win for this team.
The Ravens have one star receiver in Zay Flowers, but the uneven play of Mark Andrews and still concerning lack of overall depth at the receiver position might not be what Todd Monken and John Harbaugh want to see when the postseason comes around. They needed one more playmaker, and they got him for an efficient price.
Baltimore will have to move a few pieces around now that Johnson is in town, as they need to make sure they get the most out of a player who needs to be used in a very specific way.
Updated Baltimore Ravens wide receiver depth chart after Diontae Johnson trade
WR1: Zay Flowers
WR2: Diontae Johnson
WR3: Rashod Bateman
WR4: Nelson Agholor
WR5: Tylan Wallace
WR6: Devontez Walker
Flowers is continuing his ascension from good to great this season, and bringing Johnson into the fold is not going to change his status as one of the best young receivers in the game. Where Johnson will make an impact is underneath, which will largely take targets away from Bateman and Agholor.
Of those two, Bateman seems like the more likely player to get a somewhat regular diet of targets. With how much Baltimore likes to run the ball and how bad Agholor has been this year, it seems like the veteran will be all but officially phased out of the offensive game plan after Johnson settles in.
Tylan Wallace and rookie Devontez Walker will likely have even less chance of getting targets. With both of them paling in comparison to Johnson as a playmaker underneath, the Ravens decided that neither of them could be counted on to take up important targets in postseason games.
Johnson may not be a monumental addition, but he may have been the best wide receiver out there. The Ravens acted quickly, and they could be rewarded for their aggressiveness with some postseason glory if everything shakes out well.