CHARLOTTE — The Panthers stepped into the new league year Wednesday, completing a pair of trades that point to the future.
The team acquired Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson to give quarterback Bryce Young a reliable target and a player who has shown the ability to get open and make plays.
The Panthers sent cornerback Donte Jackson and a sixth-round pick (178th overall) to the Steelers for Johnson and a seventh-round pick (240th), giving the Panthers a legitimate receiver with Pro Bowl credentials.
In an earlier deal, they also sent outside linebacker Brian Burns and a fifth-round pick (166th overall) to the Giants in exchange for a second-rounder (39th), a higher fifth-rounder (141st), and a 2025 fifth-rounder. That adds to the draft inventory they have, as they now have a pair of picks in the top 40 (33rd and 39th).
However, the deal for Johnson should provide an immediate impact.
Johnson's caught 391 passes for 4,363 yards and 25 touchdowns in five seasons with the Steelers, the kind of experience and productivity they needed. The Panthers needed a proven target with a young group behind Adam Thielen, including Jonathan Mingo, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, and others.
Johnson had 51 catches for 717 yards last season, upping his yards per catch average to 14.1 (he's a career 11.2 per catch).
But he caught at least 85 passes each of the previous three years. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2021 after his 107-catch, 1,161-yard season.
He has one year left on his existing contract.
Jackson, a former team captain and the team's second-round pick in 2018, had 14 interceptions in six seasons here (tied with Doug Evans and Richard Marshall for fifth on the team's all-time list).
He didn't have a pick last year, but he played in 16 games for a team hit heavily by injuries at the position. He missed the second half of the 2022 season with a torn Achilles.
By moving Burns, the Panthers created $24 million in immediate cap room, which helped create space for their early splurge in free agency.
Burns, the team's 2019 first-rounder, had 46.0 sacks in five seasons and went to two Pro Bowls.
With the two trades, the Panthers have a total of seven picks in the 2024 draft, including the 33rd, 39th, 65th, 101st, 141st, 142nd, and 240th.
View action shots of Diontae Johnson throughout his career.
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) drives down field after a catch during an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, October 22, 2023 in Inglewood, Calif. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) in action during the second half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) runs after a catch during an NFL wild-card playoff football game, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, in Orchard Park, NY. (AP Photo/Matt Durisko)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) catches a pass against the Seattle Seahawks in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson runs the ball against the Seattle Seahawks during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, in Seattle. The Steelers won 30-23. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) catches a pass from quarterback Mitch Trubisky with New England Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson (29) defending during the first half of an NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) reacts during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, N.Y., Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) catches a pass during an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Durisko)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson runs with the ball after a reception during an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, in Seattle. The Steelers won 30-23. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) makes a catch against Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Poyer (21) during the third quarter of an NFL wild-card playoff football game, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) gets past Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Darious Williams (31) after a catch during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) makes a catch against Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton (21) during a NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) catches a 25 yard touchdown pass during an NFL football game, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Durisko)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) runs the ball past Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Amik Robertson (21) during an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 24, 2022, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman)
Cincinnati Bengals cornerback DJ Turner II (20) breaks up a pass intended for Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) during a NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson lines up during the second half of an NFL football game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, in Baltimore. The Steelers won 16-13. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson runs with the ball during the second half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) fumbles the ball while being tackled by Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell (24) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022, in Atlanta. The Pittsburgh Steelers won 19-16. (AP Photo/Danny Karnik)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson runs a route during the first half of an NFL football game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, in Baltimore. The Steelers won 16-13. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) celebrates after a first down catch during an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022, in Pittsburgh, PA. (AP Photo/Matt Durisko)
Indianapolis Colts cornerback Kenny Moore II (23) tackles Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) during an NFL football game, Monday, Nov. 28, 2022, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Zach Bolinger)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson, front right, catches a pass for a two-point conversion with Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II (20) defending during the second half of an NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Don Wright)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) runs the ball during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) runs after the catch during an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, in Pittsburgh, PA. (AP Photo/Matt Durisko)
