The trade reunites Johnson with new Titans head coach Robert Saleh, who was in New York when the Jets used a first-round pick on the edge rusher in 2022. Johnson had a roller-coaster four seasons in New York, generating 13.0 total sacks. He earned a Pro Bowl nod under Saleh in 2023, earning 7.5 sacks, but a 2024 injury wiped out all but two tilts, and he never seemed right last season.
The move highlights the Titans’ need for pass-rushing help surrounding star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. Trading Sweat further increases Tennessee’s chances of using its swath of free-agent money along the defensive line — a reunion with former Saleh stalwart John Franklin-Myers, anyone?
Johnson was a trade candidate last year, and moving him now underscores the probability that Gang Green uses the No. 2 overall pick on a rookie edge. Adding Sweat, a 6-foot-4, 366-pound beast, adds beef to the middle of Aaron Glenn’s defense, which struggled against the run. The former second-round pick has three sacks in two seasons but eats up blockers.