Ravens should be extra motivated to make Diontae Johnson work

In January, wide receiver Diontae Johnson was a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now, he's on his third team.

The Steelers sent Johnson to the Carolina Panthers in an offseason trade for cornerback Donte Jackson. Pittsburgh reportedly traded Johnson due to character concerns and fear that he would be a negative influence on budding star wideout George Pickens.

Just a few months later, Johnson is back in the AFC North. The Panthers traded Johnson to the Baltimore Ravens on Tuesday after mounting losses and quarterback struggles in Carolina led to frustration. The Ravens were able to acquire the talented wideout and Carolina's 2025 sixth-round pick in exchange for a 2025 fifth-round pick.

The Ravens also have some added incentive to quickly incorporate the new wideout into their high-powered offense.

Ravens trade for Diontae Johnson could prove to be a great steal

During an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," ESPN's Adam Schefter noted that Baltimore would receive a compensatory 2026 sixth-round pick if Johnson leaves the Ravens as an unrestricted free agent after this season and signs a contract with an average annual value of at least $5 million.

"He's on an expiring contract and scheduled to be a free agent," Schefter said. "If and when he signs somewhere else, there's a real possibility that the Ravens are going to get back a compensatory draft pick higher than the fifth-round pick that they gave up to Carolina, not to mention the sixth-round pick. And this is what good organizations do. They think about now, getting a great player who can beat man-to-man coverage on their roster. And they think about the future, where Diontae Johnson may help this team come up with an extra compensatory draft pick in 2026."

If Johnson has a successful season with the Ravens and leaves in free agency, Baltimore will have effectively traded their 2025 fifth-round pick for a 2025 sixth-round pick and a 2026 compensatory sixth-round pick while also having Johnson's services for the remainder of this season.

Compensatory draft picks are additional draft picks that are awarded to teams based on compensatory free agent (CFA) players that a team lost in the prior year's free agency period. Compensatory selections range from third-round picks to seventh-round picks. The compensatory value of a lost free agent is dictated by the player's new average annual salary with their new team and their percentage of snaps played.

Johnson was selected in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and he made his impact felt immediately. He led the Steelers in receptions, receiving yards or touchdowns every season since being selected in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He was a second-team All-Pro punt returner as a rookie and earned his first Pro Bowl in 2021.

The 28-year-old wideout amassed 4,363 yards and 25 touchdowns during his five-year tenure with the Steelers. Despite Carolina's woeful offense, Johnson still managed to record 30 catches for 357 receiving yards and three touchdowns through seven games.

Johnson has an excellent opportunity to have the best games of his career ahead of him. With quarterback Lamar Jackson, the Ravens are by far the most effective offense Johnson has been a part of in his career.