Panthers make Day 2 move for Oregon EDGE DJ Johnson

The latest Day 2 deal has seen the Carolina Panthers acquire pick No. 80 from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh adds the 93rd and 132nd selections, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets. With that No. 80 selection, the Panthers then took the plunge with Oregon EDGE D.J. Johnson.

Carolina gained the ability to move up the board in no small part due to the capital added in the Christian McCaffrey trade with the San Francisco 49ers this past fall, including each of the selections used in this swap. Johnson will add to their edge rushing stable, a spot the team made clear was a point of emphasis leading up to the draft.

While the Panthers boast Brian Burns at the top of their depth chart in that department, depth additions such as this one will be welcomed. Johnson wore a number of hats at Oregon, but his play on the defensive side of the ball highlighted his abilities as a disruptive force both against the pass and run.

The 6-foot-4, 260-pounder racked up 39 tackles (8.5 for loss) and six sacks in 2022 -- by far the most productive season of his collegiate career. Johnson was one of many mid-round edge-rushing prospects in this year’s deep class and he will look to continue his progression toward a full-time role at the NFL level.

The Steelers had already filled arguably their two biggest needs -- offensive tackle and cornerback -- with their first two selections of the draft, making it especially beneficial to move down the board with this move. Carolina, meanwhile, still holds fourth- and fifth-rounders as things currently stand.