Player Trade Profile
Diontae Johnson
Explore every recorded NFL trade involving Diontae Johnson,
including the assets exchanged, team grades, final verdicts,
and TradeVerdicts analysis.
Trade Impact Summary
The TradeVerdicts database links Diontae Johnson to 3 public trade records involving Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Las Vegas Raiders.
Each record below shows what the teams received, how each side
was graded, and the analysis behind the verdict. Grades and
verdicts follow the
TradeVerdicts methodology
.
Transaction Record
Related Trades
3 records Carolina Panthers Win
Tier: standard
Confidence: high
Carolina Panthers acquired 2025 5th round pick (163rd overall, Mitchell Evans) from Baltimore Ravens for Diontae Johnson and 2025 6th round pick (183rd overall subsequently traded, Marcus Harris). Carolina Panthers received the stronger recorded football value, matching the Carolina Panthers Win verdict.
Assets Received
- Pick 2025 5th round pick (163rd overall, Mitchell Evans)
- Pick Diontae Johnson and 2025 6th round pick (183rd overall subsequently traded, Marcus Harris)
Trade Analysis
The grade spread supports Carolina Panthers: that side earned the higher mark because it produced the clearer recorded football value.
View the full trade verdict
→ Even Trade
Tier: major
Confidence: high
Pittsburgh Steelers acquired 2024 6th round pick (178th overall, Logan Lee) and Donte Jackson from Carolina Panthers for Diontae Johnson and 2024 7th round pick (240th overall, Michael Barrett). The available record does not show enough separation to call a clear long-term winner.
Assets Received
- Pick 2024 6th round pick (178th overall, Logan Lee) and Donte Jackson
- Player Diontae Johnson
- Pick 2024 7th round pick (240th overall, Michael Barrett)
Trade Analysis
This remains a low-separation transaction. The recorded value does not create enough distance to move either side above an Even Trade verdict.
View the full trade verdict
→ Pittsburgh Steelers Win
Tier: landmark
Confidence: high
The Antonio Brown trade to the Raiders became one of the strangest and most one-sided veteran receiver deals of the modern era. Oakland sent Pittsburgh a third-round pick and a fifth-round pick, but Brown never played a regular-season game for the Raiders. The Steelers escaped the crisis and turned the main pick into Diontae Johnson. It remains a priority indexing page because Brown's Raiders stint became a no-games-played trade disaster.
Assets Received
- Pick 2019 3rd round pick (66th overall, Diontae Johnson)
- Pick 2019 5th round pick (141st overall, Zach Gentry)
Trade Analysis
Why the Raiders Made the Trade
The Raiders made the trade because Antonio Brown was still one of the biggest receiver names in football. His peak production in Pittsburgh was elite, and Oakland wanted a star to headline a new offensive era.
The logic was understandable on paper. A third-round pick and a fifth-round pick for a receiver with Brown's resume could have been a bargain if the player still brought elite production and stayed committed to the team.
What Pittsburgh Actually Received
Pittsburgh received a third-round pick and a fifth-round pick. The key piece became Diontae Johnson, a productive receiver who gave the Steelers meaningful value after Brown's departure.
The return was not equal to prime Antonio Brown, but that is not the right comparison. Pittsburgh was not trading the clean version of Brown's peak. It was trading a superstar whose relationship with the organization had already broken down.
Why the Trade Failed for the Raiders
The trade failed because Brown never played a regular-season game for the Raiders. That makes the evaluation brutally simple. Oakland paid draft capital, absorbed chaos, and received no regular-season production.
Few trades collapse that quickly. Even bad veteran acquisitions usually produce some snaps, some catches, or some short-term value. The Raiders received none of that from Brown in games that counted.
Why Pittsburgh Won
Pittsburgh won because it got out before the situation became even worse. The Steelers moved the problem, received draft capital, and avoided the full circus that followed in Oakland.
That is why the grade is so strong. A team can win a trade by maximizing a distressed asset before the value hits zero. Pittsburgh did exactly that.
Why This Trade Still Matters
This trade still matters because it is a warning about buying reputation instead of stability. Brown's talent was obvious, but the warning signs were also obvious. The Raiders focused on the ceiling and got overwhelmed by the risk.
It also belongs in the GSC priority group because Antonio Brown to the Raiders remains one of the most searched modern trade disasters, tied to Pittsburgh's exit, Oakland's gamble, and a no-games-played result.
The contract and personality-risk context made the deal more than a normal receiver trade. Oakland was not only acquiring Brown's talent. It was acquiring every warning sign that had already made Pittsburgh willing to move him for less than prime-superstar value. The Raiders treated the discount like an opportunity, but the discount existed for a reason. That is why the trade belongs on any modern worst-trades list.
The Raiders' side is especially harsh because there was no regular-season fallback. No partial season, no short burst of production, no playoff push, and no compensating football value. The trade became pure cost almost immediately.
It remains one of the cleanest no-return veteran gambles.
Final Verdict
Pittsburgh won decisively by moving Antonio Brown before the value fully collapsed and receiving usable draft capital. The Raiders paid for a superstar and got zero regular-season games. Steelers grade: A+. Raiders grade: F.
View the full trade verdict
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