This summer, the Pittsburgh Steelers were involved in some of the more unexpected moves in football. Kenny Pickett was dealt to the Eagles by them. To replace him, they then made a trade for Justin Fields.
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Nevertheless, the deal that sent Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers might have been their most unexpected one. In exchange for Johnson and the 240th pick in this year’s draft, the Steelers received Donte Jackson and the 178th pick. Not all of the players in the deal anticipated being dealt. At least one of them did not. In a media appearance on April 23, Johnson said he was taken aback by his trade but considered himself fortunate to have a new beginning.
“I felt fortunate and astonished at the same time. Somewhere new to begin. I’ve now lived in Pittsburgh for five years. It’s strange coming here. I’m still getting used to things, but for now I’m having fun.
The Steelers’ Takeaways from the Trade
One of the Steelers’ most pressing requirements at the time of the transaction was a cornerback. After they let go of Patrick Peterson, they just had Joey Porter Jr. with very little experience at the position. The secondary received a little boost in speed through the trade of Jackson, but that was about all the improvement that the trade accomplished in 2023.
Jackson hasn’t had a particularly good season. Last season, he gave up 12.4 yards per completion and let opposition quarterbacks complete almost 65% of their pass attempts when they threw to him, according to PFF. The yards per completion were only 0.1 better than what Peterson gave up in 2023, and the completion percentage allowed is lower than what the Steelers saw from him last season. The Steelers’ offense was significantly impacted by the deal in the meanwhile.
They were left without a WR2 in the deal.
George Pickens and Calvin Austin were the only players still playing for the Steelers in 2023 at the moment. Austin’s career receiving yards total is a mere 180. They have now added Van Jefferson and Quez Watkins, although none of them is a true Johnson replacement. Due to this, they are still searching for a receiver to take the spot of a guy who, just a few days before the draft, had a very successful five years in Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh’s Johnson’s Run
Investing on Johnson in the third round of the 2019 draft by the Steelers proved to be fruitful for him during his tenure with the team. Johnson had a strong start to his NFL career. After trading Antonio Brown, the Steelers organization had a significant overhaul in their passing game when Johnson arrived as a rookie.
He was second on the team in receiving yards (680) and led the team in catches (59). His influence rose in the second year. In his second NFL season, Johnson led the Steelers with 923 yards through 88 receptions.
Then, in 2021, he experienced his finest year to date. In his third season, Johnson caught 107 passes for 1161 yards and eight touchdowns, earning him a position in the Pro Bowl. Even if his output declined in 2022, he continued to be a dependable player for the Steelers. In the first season the team had after Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement, he had 86 catches for 882 yards. Pickens surpassed Johnson as the team’s top wide receiver in what turned out to be Johnson’s last season with the Steelers. Despite this, he was able to haul in 51 passes for 717 yards. Now that he’s with the Panthers, he can go back to being a WR1.
