In a shocking turn of events, the Pittsburgh Steelers are getting evening lighter in the wide receivers' room. It was recently reported that the team might be interested in shopping wide receiver Diontae Johnson. That has now come to fruition. The former third-round pick will no longer wear the black and gold, as Tom Pelissero of NFL Network broke the news.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter / X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers wide receiver, Diontae Johnson (#18) lines up prior to a snap during a 2022 regular season matchup against the Baltimore Ravens at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
The Steelers receive not just the 178th overall pick in the draft, but cornerback Donte Jackson.
Full trade:
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 12, 2024
The #Panthers get Diontae Johnson and pick No. 240
The #Steelers get Donte Jackson and pick 178 https://t.co/2vbKLl0MMv
The sixth-round pick is some nice extra draft capital, as the Steelers part ways with a seventh-rounder, but the most intriguing part of this move is the acquisition of Jackson. The 2018 second-rounder out of LSU has spent his whole career with Carolina, and now his second professional team will be headquartered in Pittsburgh. He had no interceptions in 2023, but was a turnover machine prior, snagging 14 picks from 2018 to 2022.
This is a crazy turn of events and has to lead one to believe Pittsburgh is attempting to sign one of the better free agent wideouts. Calvin Ridley allegedly has a dark horse team involved, and it's hard not to believe he could be on General Manager Omar Khan's mind. The news of the Johnson trade comes as a bit of a shock to the NFL world on a Tuesday evening.
AP News
Former Carolina Panthers Cornerback Donte Jackson (#26) practices with his former team.
This leaves George Pickens and Calvin Austin III as the only two contributors from 2023 set to be on the 2024 roster. Pittsburgh isn't just eyeing the position up in the draft in April. Something behind the scenes is likely going on. Regardless, Khan is making big move after big move as the new league year prepares to get under way. He has added a quarterback, punter, and cornerback, while giving away a top-tier route runner and also gave out the largest free agent contract in franchise history.
It was believed by many that Johnson was worth at least a day two pick. Instead, Khan opted for less draft capital in return for a cornerback to potentially put on the other side of Joey Porter Jr. Fans might be a little frustrated with only receiving a sixth-rounder, but cornerback was an area of need too. The hole this creates at wide receiver would not have been appetizing to Khan and co. if there wasn't a plan in place to make a move.
Johnson was entering the final year of his contract with the Steelers and the reason this may be a big-time question mark is not just because of the lack of depth in the room. If he were to play in Pittsburgh in 2024 and move on elsewhere to sign a big contract, it could have led to the Steelers getting a much better compensatory pick than the sixth round.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers wide receiver, Diontae Johnson (#18) runs a route against the Baltimore Ravens during a 2021 home game at then-Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA.
Steelers' Khan Making It Known He Is Not Interested In How Things Used To Work In Pittsburgh
Khan sat in the wings behind Kevin Colbert for a long time. He has watched as the team has been unable to win a playoff game since the 2016 season. Now, moves are being made all over the place to not just add talent in all areas, but get rid of a potential distraction in Johnson. It's not done yet, in fact, Khan may just be getting started. He has a plan in place and everything is being set into motion.
The "Khan Artist" strikes again. Time will tell if the compensation was enough for one of the best route-runners in the entire NFL.
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