Johnson joins the herd

Ravens GM Eric DeCosta has made his first dip into the trade market before next week’s deadline. After watching Buffalo and Kansas City acquire weapons for their franchise quarterbacks, Baltimore went out and acquired one of the best pass catchers on the market, Diontae Johnson. Johnson will have an immediate impact on a Ravens offense that already ranks in the top 5 in all major statistical categories. Not only does Johnson provide a new threat to the Ravens 5th passing attack, but he also adds much-needed depth to a younger wide receiver room.

What does Diontae Johnson bring to the Ravens?

Nelson Agholor has been efficient, but doesn’t appear to have the tools needed for a WR2 should an unfortunate injury befall Zay Flowers or Rashod Bateman. Baltimore will send a 5th-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft while receiving a 6th-rounder from the Panthers. Carolina also picked up a large majority of Johnson’s contract, leaving the Ravens only required to pay $625,000, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. It’s hard to hate the move, despite the obvious needs on the defensive side of the ball. It’s another weapon you can add to a plethora of players in skill positions, a method similar to that used in San Fransisco.

Baltimore is going to beat you with speed and elite routes, a recipe for disaster for opposing defenses. With DeCosta sending just a fifth-round pick to Carolina and acquiring the talent he has, you have to remain curious about what else could be in the works. According to Bleacher Report’s James Palmer, Johnson’s acquisition is not expected to impact Baltimore’s ability to make another move before the trade deadline.

It’s most likely just a rental, as Johnson will hit the open market after this season, but his route-running ability makes it worth the short stay.

On the surface, it seems like a win in favor of the Ravens, and another move could regain the confidence that the fanbase is currently lacking.

What does Johnson bring to the offense?

It’s crazy to think how far this receiving room has come just two seasons ago, and you have to admire EDC’s willingness to address this stance. Seemingly replacing Odell Beckham Jr.’s production. last season by a rookie who hasn’t seen the field much has made the depth at receiver a bit more noticeable as this season has progressed. Acquiring Johnson not only addresses the need for legitimate depth, but also adds another intermediate weapon for Lamar Jackson.

Johnson has an average depth of 10.6 yards, 26th among receivers with at least 40 targets this season. He thrived on routes from 10 to 19 yards this season, earning a PFF grade of 90.9. On intermediate routes, Johnson has 114 yards and 2 TDs for an average of 14.3 yards per reception. It’s almost a match made in Heaven with Jackson’s success at such passing depths this season, as the QB is connecting on 78.6% of his passes for 761 yards, 6 TDs and zero interceptions.

You would expect Johnson to play more of an outside role, as he has lined up wide in 79.1% of his actions this season. By bringing out another threat, the Ravens can use Flowers more in the slot as the season progresses. Zay easily leads all Ravens receivers out of the slot this year with 95. Using more of Zay’s quickness and quickness out of the slot, especially in the RPO game, creates threats all over the field for Jackson to get the ball can deliver.

The skill around Johnson is his so-called problem with drops. Through seven games, Johnson has been the victim of just two total drops, the same number as new teammate Flowers this season. It’s difficult to really dive deep into Johnson’s advanced stats given the quality of Carolina’s quarterback play this season. However, it’s easy to get excited about the potential Johnson brings to the Ravens receiver corps. We’ve seen Amari Cooper adapt quickly in Buffalo and DeAndre Hopkins find himself involved less than a week after that trade.

Will Johnson see similar results against the Broncos on Sunday, or will Baltimore take a more conservative approach regarding their newly acquired wideout?