NFL Rumors: 4 Diontae Johnson trade packages Steelers couldn’t turn down

3. New Orleans Saints need Diontae Johnson to replace Michael Thomas

It's always just about anyone's guess how the New Orleans Saints plan to attack a given offseason. But it does seem pretty keenly that this team will look to put a better situation around Derek Carr, who is all but locked in to return as the team's quarterback for the 2024 campaign, for better or worse.

Chris Olave has continued to flash some terrific upside as a young pass-catcher in the league, but the writing also appears to be on the wall for Michael Thomas as he's likely to be cut. Beyond that, the wide receiver room is clearly lacking in terms of proven receiving options who can help elevate the offense consistently (no shade to Rashid Shaheed, who is a more boom-or-bust option).

Johnson is essentially an upgraded version of Thomas, a fantastic route-runner with a bit more juice and perhaps untapped potential when not playing with the Steelers' recent run of lackluster QBs and offensive play-calling. That's why they could get aggressive and make a trade offer such as this for Johnson.

Why the Steelers say yes

This is just a no-brainer for the Steelers. Getting a Top 50 pick, even if there is fodder to help balance that out throughout Day of this year's draft in addition to next year, is extremely valuable. That could put Pittsburgh in the range to take advantage of a cheap and deep wide receiver class in this draft or address another need with a Top 50 selection.

Why the Saints say yes

The Saints don't have a third-round pick, so they have to offer what they can in a second-rounder and a fifth-rounder while getting a fourth-rounder this year and a Day 3 pick of some sort next year. But this is kind of what New Orleans does. This is a team that aggressively moves when it comes to draft picks and, to get the offense in substantially better shape, this steep price could ultimately make a boatload of sense in their minds.