CHARLOTTE, N. C. -- The Carolina Panthers knew former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson came with some baggage when they traded for him, but his ability to create separation and give second-year quarterback Bryce Young a legitimate No. 1 target far outweighed the negatives.
"His release ability is second to none,'' first-year head coach Dave Canales told reporters on Tuesday at the NFL owners meeting in Orlando. "And then at the top of the route, his deceleration, the way he's able to really explode out of his routes, it's a dream for any quarterback.''
Young lived a nightmare in 2023 after Carolina selected him with the No. 1 overall pick of the draft. Beyond being sacked a team-record 62 times, his receivers struggled to get open.
None of them ranked higher than 37th in open score, which ESPN analytics defines as the likelihood a receiver would be able to complete a catch if targeted. That was leading receiver Adam Thielen, who had a 62 open score and 103 catches for 1,014 yards.
Johnson ranked 12th last season in open score (79), and over the past two seasons, his open score of 94 is the best in the NFL. No Carolina receiver ranked in the top 40 over that two-year span. Thielen's open score of 59 with the Minnesota Vikings in 2022 and Panthers in 2023 ranks 47th.
So while signing former Miami Dolphins guard Robert Hunt was Carolina's top priority in free agency, landing Johnson has to rank a close second.
"An awesome route runner,'' Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said at the owners meeting. "A guy that can create separation at the top of routes. A guy that's tough to stay with. He could win in non-vertical route running and vertical route running.
"So you're getting a guy with a complete skill set in that regard. I just think he's going to be a big asset to [Young].''
In terms of separating on the first and second level, Canales compared the dynamic things Johnson does to the Vikings' Justin Jefferson and Buffalo Bills' Stefon Diggs.
"It really is cool to add him to what we're going to do,'' he said.
Carolina general manager Dan Morgan agreed.
"He's one of the better route runners in the NFL,'' he said. "His ability to get in and out of breaks, create separation underneath or vertically. He just brings a different element than what we had on our roster.''
Morgan was also impressed with Johnson as a player who could improve the culture he wants to build. He admitted the team put in a lot of research before the trade because of the documented incidents that suggested otherwise.
Two occurred last season.
After having only two catches in a November game against the Cleveland Browns, Johnson reportedly was "chirping" at coaches all the way to the locker room before getting into a "heated" argument with teammate Minkah Fitzpatrick.
A week later, he was criticized for not diving for a loose ball against the Cincinnati Bengals, a matter he addressed with teammates and for which he took accountability.
"That's not me as a player,'' Johnson said at the time.
Drops were an issue early in Johnson's career. Of the 132 players who had at least 50 targets in 2020 (his second NFL season), only 14 had a worse drop rate, and his 12 drops were four more than any other player.
Johnson had only three drops in 2023.
"We did our research on Diontae,'' Morgan said. "We're really excited about the player and the person, what he's going to bring to our building, what he's going to bring to our culture.''
After being criticized for trading Pro Bowl edge rusher Brian Burns to the New York Giants for a second- and fifth-round pick, Morgan may have gotten a bargain in Johnson.
He traded cornerback Donte Jackson, a player he'd already planned to release, for Johnson and an exchange of late-round draft picks. The biggest negative was Carolina inherited the final year of Johnson's contract ($10 million salary cap hit), so this could be a short-term fix for Young if an extension can't be done.
But ultimately, the Panthers believed Johnson was worth it to give Young the help needed beyond pass protection, which they got by investing $150 million in guards Hunt and Damien Lewis.
One of Canales' goals for Young is to release the ball in 2.7 seconds or sooner. Young ranked 24th last season with an average release time of 2.9 seconds. ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky noted that having a receiver with a higher separation rate will help Young get rid of the ball quicker.
Per NFL Next Gen Stats, the highest-ranked Carolina receiver last season in terms of being wide open (at least five yards of separation) when targeted was rookie Jonathan Mingo, who ranked 34th at 16%. Johnson ranked 13th at 22%.
"He can release against the best cornerbacks and get open, be available for the quarterback,'' Canales said of Johnson.
Beyond player moves to help Young, Canales has focused on developing a personal relationship with the former Alabama star. He's had several three-hour dinners with his quarterback just getting to know him.
"Build that emotional currency,'' Canales said.
One thing Canales learned is Young is "glad'' he went through last season, when he had the worst statistical rookie seasons ever for a quarterback selected with the top overall pick.
"It's exactly what you would hope to hear from your quarterback and from a guy that sees the best for himself going forward,'' Canales said.
A receiver like Johnson will only help Young accomplish that goal.
"He really has a dynamic style to his play,'' Canales said said of Johnson. "I want to continue to look at more plays [where] we can add that explosiveness to help [Young].''