Carolina Panthers trade WR Diontae Johnson to Baltimore Ravens with draft pick swap
The Carolina Panthers are putting a focus on their future.
On Tuesday, the team agreed to trade leading wide receiver Diontae Johnson and a 2025 sixth-round pick to the Baltimore Ravens for a 2025 fifth-round pick, a league source told The Observer. The Ravens have acknowledged the deal is pending a physical.
Johnson, who was acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers in March, produced 30 catches for 357 yards and three touchdowns in seven games. He missed the Week 8 loss to the Denver Broncos with a rib injury that was sustained the week before.
Johnson, 28, was originally acquired in a March swap of late Day 3 picks, which also featured cornerback Donte Jackson heading to Pittsburgh. The Panthers sent a sixth-round pick with Jackson, who was about to released, to the Steelers for Johnson and seventh-round pick in this year’s draft.
Johnson will now head to Baltimore, where he will compete with Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor for playing time and targets from QB Lamar Jackson. Johnson, a speedster with excellent route running ability, should help the Ravens boost their playoff stock.
Alternatively, the Panthers are going to plan for the future after a 1-7 start. The team has nine draft picks in 2025.
The Panthers will not incur any dead-money cap penalties for trading Johnson. The wide receiver is in the final year of his contract and had no more guarantees attached to the current deal.
Carolina will move forward with a wide receiver group headlined by veteran Adam Thielen and first-round pick Xavier Legette. Jonathan Mingo, Jalen Coker and David Moore fill out the rest of the depth chart.
Here is a look at the Panthers’ 2025 draft picks:
▪ First round: Original pick
▪ Second round: Rams’ pick
▪ Third round: Original pick
▪ Fourth round: Original pick
▪ Fifth round (3): Original pick, Giants’ pick, Ravens’ pick
▪ Sixth round: N/A
▪ Seventh round (2): Original or Cardinals’ pick (conditional swap), Chiefs’ pick
This is developing story that will be updated.
This story was originally published October 29, 2024 at 2:18 PM.
