Quentin Johnston NFL Draft Overview
Position: Wide Receiver
Height: 6′-4″
Weight: 215 pounds
School: TCU
2023 NFL Draft: Quentin Johnston Scouting Report
Quentin Johnston being mocked over receivers like Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Jordan Addison would have been laughable prior to this years college football season, but now not so much. Entering this year, Johnston was yet to combine for 1000 receiving yards in his first two seasons at TCU. However, he broke out in a big way last year, tallying 60 receptions for 1096 yards and six touchdowns, achieving career highs in both receptions and yards.
Johnston was a three-sport athlete in high school, playing basketball and track in addition to football. On the field was where Johnston excelled most though. Throughout his four years, he amassed a total of 11 offers from notable schools such as Oklahoma, Texas, Notre Dame, and of course TCU. Additionally he attained a four-star rating via 247 Sports.
Strengths
- Walking mismatch – Combination of weight and height leaves only a handful of defenders capable of matching up against him;
- Fluidity- Being tall usually compromises center of gravity, not for Johnston though, from the moment he bursts off the line everything looks natural;
- Yards after the catch – Frame makes him hard to bring down and twitchiness/agility for his size makes it even harder;
- Release package- Johnston is incredibly twitchy off the line and is incredibly creative with his releases, often rocking onto his back foot before thrusting forward;
- QB proof – At TCU he played with a couple quarterbacks and was able to produce reasonably well with each;
Weaknesses
- Clumsy route runner – Johnston fails to apply his fluidity to his routes, is over-reliant on his physical tools, and is quite the careless route runner;
- Height limitations- Not only are Johnston’s routes not technically sound, his height also prevents him from getting in and out of breaks in a silky smooth fashion;
- Inconsistent production- Despite his career year, the bulk of Johnston’s production came in just a few games and he was rather non-existent in others;
- Utilization of frame- Johnston is gifted with a monster frame, despite this he does not excel at winning 50-50 balls;
- Hands- Although Johnston often had trouble hauling in easy balls in college, many believed he would test very well in the hand department at the combine, in actuality, Johnston’s hands were just above the 50th percentile;
NFL Comparison: Brandon Aiyuk
Teams with Need at the Position: Baltimore Ravens, New York Giants, Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts, Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, Washington Commanders, New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs
Projection: Mid-late first round
Bottom Line on Quentin Johnston
In a wide receiver class lacking depth, Johnston could very well be a diamond in the rough if developed patiently. The physical dominance brought to the table by Johnston’s height and size is something no team can overlook. He is quick and twitchy, possessing control over his body that not many receivers his size have. Not only that, Johnston is creative, when watching it’s clear he loves developing new releases to shake cornerbacks right off the line.
As talented as Johnston may be, there are justifiable concerns with his fundamentals. Johnston is below average in both the route running and hands department, two core pieces to being a great receiver. The routes aren’t all his fault though, at such a tall height it can be hard to really get low into your breaks. On the contrary, the hands can be fixed if Johnston commits to working on them.
That is exactly why slow development is key. Instead of stepping in as the top option in a passing attack, Johnston could begin at the wide receiver two or three position. This would allow him to refine his fundamentals while learning how to win on the outside.
With the wide receiver position becoming more and more important in today’s pass-first NFL, it would be hard to see Johnston falling out of the first round.
Main Photo: Kirby Lee – USA Today Sports
