Johnson Joins the Flock

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

Nelson Agholor has been efficient but doesn’t seem to possess the tools needed for a WR2, should an unfortunate injury happen to either Zay Flowers or Rashod Bateman. Baltimore will send over a 5th-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft while receiving a 6th-rounder from the Panthers. Carolina has also picked up a large majority of Johnson’s contract, leaving just $625,000 for the Ravens to pay, 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 to add to a plethora of skill position players, a method similar to that seen in San Fransisco.

Baltimore is going to hit you with speed and elite route running, a recipe for disaster for opposing defenses. With DeCosta sending only a 5th-round pick to Carolina and acquiring the talent he has, it has to leave you curious what else could potentially be in the works. According to James Palmer from Bleacher Report, the acquisition of Johnson isn’t expected to impact Baltimore’s ability to make another move before the trade deadline.

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

At first glance, it seems to be a win in favor of the Ravens, and another move could regain the confidence the fanbase is currently lacking.

What does Johnson Bring to the Offense?

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

Johnson is averaging a depth of target of 10.6 yards, 26th among receivers with at least 40 targets this season. He’s thrived on routes of 10-19 yards this season, picking up a 90.9 PFF grade. 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 on 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’d have to expect Johnson to play more of an outside role, as he’s lined up wide on 79.1% of his plays this season. Bringing in another threat outside allows the Ravens to utilize Flowers in the slot more as the season progresses. Zay leads all Ravens receivers in snaps from the slot this year with 95. Using more of Zay’s speed and quickness from the slot, especially in the RPO game, puts threats all over the field for Jackson to deliver the ball.

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

Will Johnson see similar results Sunday against the Broncos, or does Baltimore take more of a conservative approach involving their newly acquired wideout?