In this 2023 NFL Draft profile, I'll be breaking down TCU wide receiver Quentin Johnston.
If you have not already, make sure you read Evan's 2023 NFL Draft Profiles for Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs and Jon's Jaxon Smith-Njigba write-up!
Johnston NFL Draft odds to be the first WR selected is +300, trailing only JSN (+100).
Johnston is a big-able body receiver with a wide catch radius. He is a precise route runner and a very good red zone weapon. He is a freak athlete but he did not run the 40 at the combine. We have to wait for his pro day to see his true speed. His productivity is a bit erratic but his athleticism is enough for scouts to fall in love with him.
TCU WR Quentin Johnston (6-4, 215) clocks 21.0 mph. #ReelSpeed pic.twitter.com/XYSkvXgwUC
— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) January 1, 2023
2023 NFL Draft Profile: Quentin Johnston
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- College: TCU Horned Frogs
- Position: Wide Receiver
- Height: 6'4"
- Weight: 215LBS
- Age: 21
College
Johnston was a four-star, top-100 recruit out of Temple, Texas. He was ranked the number three wide receiver in his class. Johnson originally committed to Texas but flipped his commitment late to the Horn Frogs.
He struggled his freshman year playing in only eight games. To his credit, TCU struggled as a whole during his freshman year but he only managed to see the endzone twice on 22 catches.
Johnston started to come on during his sophomore season. He recorded three hundred-yard games and caught six touchdowns. He was selected 2021 First-Team-All-Big-12 and lead the Horn frogs in both receiving yards and touchdowns.
Scouts really started to take notice during his Junior season. He set a career-high in receptions (66), yards (1,069) and matched a career-high with six touchdowns. Johnston was selected again to the First-Team-All-Big-12 and was a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award for the best WR in the nation.
Quentin Johnston: 18 REC of 25+ YDS last season
Led all players in College Football💨 pic.twitter.com/MOj5yGI2Kq
— PFF College (@PFF_College) March 15, 2023
Strengths
Johnston enters the draft as one of the most athletically gifted profiles. His big frame is a dream for any quarterback and he has the outside speed to mix perfectly with his size.
He is fast off the line and uses his body well to create separation. Johnston also has a great stop-start motion that he uses to his advantage to confuse corners. For his size, Johnston is very light and shifty on his feet.
Johnston's biggest assets may come in the form of his field-stretching abilities. He has excellent acceleration and straight-line speed. What makes his speed dangerous is he combines it with great body control. In his junior season, he really perfected tracking the deep ball and was very consistent with the over-the-shoulder deep ball catches.
At TCU, Johnston did not accelerate in any one coverage which proved to be advantageous for TCU. He lined up all over the field and dominated both man and zone coverage. In man to man he often times beat his defender off the line with ease forcing the double team and he has a knack for finding the soft spots of the zones, creating easy passing lanes for his quarterback.
Weaknesses
Johnston really only had one standout year at TCU, making his game film a little erratic. That could be blamed on the state of the program as a whole, and the fact that Max Duggan did not break out until his senior year.
There is a slight concern that he lost some contested catches at a high rate in college. He had eight drops in 2022.
Press coverage was also an issue at college. He got caught up playing patty cake at the line with the corner instead of concentrating on getting off the line.
Fantasy Outlook
Johnston may have the best combination of speed and size in the NFL draft at the position.
Given his size and his downfield speed, paired with the right quarterback in his rookie season, double digits touchdowns could be reached.
He may not be the first WR taken in the NFL draft but with a good 40-yard time at his pro day, that could change. It is too early to tell exactly where he will go in rookie drafts but passed on talent alone, he should not be taken any less than the second WR off the board.
WR-needy teams like Dallas, Tennessee, Kansas City, and Green Bay could all be a landing spot for Johnston. In an ideal world for fantasy purposes, the Cowboys and Chiefs would be the landing spot, both feature pass-heavy offenses.
Dallas may be a perfect match for Johnston. He gets to stay in his hometown state and play in an offense that he can step right in and contribute. With the defenses having to respect CeeDee Lamb on the opposite side, Johnston could flourish in single coverage. Also with Dalton Schultz currently not signed, he could be a red-zone target for Dak Prescott.
On the flip side of that, Tennessee would not be a good spot to land on draft night. A run-first team that struggles in the passing game would be a nightmare for Johnston. Yes, the targets would be there but inconsistent play at quarterback would stunt his growth in his rookie season.
Check out our other 2023 NFL Draft Profiles and our latest 2023 NFL Mock Draft
