From most angles, the Baltimore Ravens’ mid-season trade for wide receiver Diontae Johnson was a failure, plain and simple. He only appeared in four games, received a suspension after refusing to enter a fifth, and the team released him shortly thereafter. If the Ravens had the benefit of hindsight, they likely wouldn’t make this move.
That said, it wasn’t all terrible.
First, the Ravens barely gave up anything to acquire Johnson, sending a fifth-round pick to the Carolina Panthers while receiving a sixth-round pick back. In the full draft order, that amounts to moving down 20 spots on Day 3, which is miniscule in the grand scheme of things.
Second, the Ravens could still end up gaining some additional draft compensation. While they did release him in December, they actually ended up re-claiming on waivers in January, fully knowing that he wouldn’t be able to play for the postseason. Why? Well, it all goes back to what the Ravens do better than any other team: compensatory picks.
In very basic terms, teams receive compensatory picks when they lose more free agents than they sign in a given offseason, with those picks being determined by how much a player makes per year with his new team. With Johnson technically being a member of the Ravens when the new league year began earlier this month, they could receive an additional compensatory pick if he signs a large enough contract with another team.
Johnson definitely cost himself some money in 2024, as four different teams parted ways with him in a 10-month span. However, ESPN still believes he’s one of the better free agents available, which is good news for the Ravens.
“Johnson’s 2024 season went off the rails after he was traded from the Panthers, which led to disappointing stops with the Ravens and Texans,” wrote ESPN’s Matt Bowen, who had Johnson ranked No. 16 among remaining free agents. “When dialed in, however, he has inside/outside flexibility with the speed to separate against press coverage. He can also tack on numbers after the catch. With Pittsburgh in 2023, he had 51 catches for 717 yards and five touchdowns. (He had 33 catches for 375 yards and three TDs in 2024.)”
The Ravens are already projected to receive three compensatory picks in 2026: two fifth-round picks for losing Brandon Stephens and Patrick Mekari, as well as a seventh-round pick for losing Josh Jones. If Johnson signs a large enough contract, which should only be around $5 million per year, they could receive the maximum four picks.
It’s not much, but it’s at least something positive to take away from this failed experiment.