Carolina Panthers receive: 2025 fourth-round pick, 2025 fifth-round pick, 2026 fourth-round pick

San Francisco 49ers receive: WR Diontae Johnson

The San Francisco 49ers have been annihilated by injuries, and their chances of making a third trip to Super Bowl in six years have nosedived as a result. Their receiving corps has been hit particularly hard, as San Francisco is still reeling from losing No. 1 wideout Brandon Aiyuk for the year to an ACL tear. Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall have all missed time as well, while star running back Christian McCaffrey has yet to play this season.

Despite the rash of injuries, San Francisco has managed to claw its way to a .500 record heading into its Week 9 bye. It isn’t too late for the Niners to turn things around and go on a deep playoff run, but they may need some additional help.

Acquiring Johnson would give San Francisco the high-end pass-catcher it needs to find some consistency and start stringing together wins for the first time in 2024.

Quarterback Brock Purdy has been struggling without his reliable supporting cast. The third-year signal-caller has regressed significantly from last season, when he emerged as one of the league’s top MVP candidates.

Purdy completed 69.4 percent of his throws for 4,280 yards and 31 touchdowns against 11 interceptions in 2023. This year, his completion percentage has dipped by nearly five points, and he’s on track for only 21 touchdowns and 15 interceptions following a polarizing start.

The Niners need more firepower to augment their signal-caller, and Johnson should be at the top of their list right now. He may not be considered of the league’s top wideouts, but he has the talent to get to that level in the right system and should come at an affordable cost.

San Francisco’s offense under Kyle Shanahan might be able to unlock Johnson’s full potential. He could put up career-best numbers if the Niners opt to trade for him.