Quentin Johnston - WR - TCU
Welcome to the rookie profile for Quentin Johnston.
At 6’3” and 208 lbs, Quentin Johnston looks like a wide receiver built in a laboratory. Johnston looks every bit like a stud receiver being played by a WWE wrestler in a Hollywood movie about football. He projects to go as the first receiver off the board in the NFL Draft and should be the first receiver off the board in rookie drafts. I currently have Johnston ranked third in one quarterback drafts behind only Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs.
Quentin Johnston has a wide range of outcomes and is by far the biggest boom-or-bust receiver in the class. If his ceiling hits he could be Julio Jones, but if his floor hits he could just as easily be N’Keal Harry. I think it is very much within the range of outcomes that Johnston emerges as a true Alpha receiver in the NFL for years to come.
Measurables
Height: 6′ 3″
Weight: 208 lbs
Age: 22
40-yard dash: DNP
3-cone drill: DNP
20-yard shuttle: DNP
Vertical Jump: 40.5″
Broad Jump: 11-2
Bench Press: DNP
*age is at the start of player’s rookie year
College Stats
Notable Headlines
Quentin Johnston was a 4-star recruit coming out of Temple High School and was the 14th-ranked wide receiver recruit in his class. He originally committed to Texas but flipped to TCU after Texas fired their wide receiver coach.
As a true freshman in 2020, Johnston played in 8 games for TCU and hauled 22 catches for 487 yards and 2 touchdowns.
In 2021 as a sophomore, he once again played in 8 games and saw a modest rise in production catching 33 passes for 634 yards. He was however able to triple his freshman touchdown total coming down with 6 scores on the year.
As a junior in 2022, Johnston had the best season of his college career. He caught 60 passes for 1,069 yards and 6 touchdowns. Quentin was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award (Most Outstanding Receiver) on his way to an appearance in the College Football Playoff Title Game.
Scouting Report
Positives
Size, size, and more size. Johnston is the most physically imposing receiver in this class and it’s not particularly close. His ability to impose his will on defenders while coming down with contested catches is truly elite.
Johnston is an elite deep threat with high-end speed that will be tough to cover anywhere on the field. His acceleration and physicality are second to none making him difficult to press off the line.
Quentin’s combination of size and speed makes him a nightmare to bring down after the catch and he is capable of scoring anytime he touches the ball.
Size, speed, acceleration, and insane yards after the catch ability. Johnston has all the tools you would look for to make an elite receiver. Johnston has more elite tools than any two receivers in this draft class combined and if he is able to refine some of his weaknesses he could easily find himself as the WR1 in dynasty rankings.
Negatives
Johnston’s main drawback is his ability as a route runner. He runs a very limited route tree and the routes he does run could use some work to refine them and their finer nuances.
For a player of his size, Quentin is not as effective as you would expect when attempting to block, to say the least. He often struggles to use his size to his advantage as a blocker and gets easily pushed around while blocking as a result of poor technique.
Quentin lacks focus on occasion and from time to time has been prone to drops as a result of lapses in concentration. Johnston has also been known to over-engage against defenders at the line in the heat of battle when met with press coverage that can make him stray from his intended route and significantly decrease his effectiveness.
Pre Draft Analysis
Expected Draft Capital- Early to Mid Round 1
Ideal Landing Spot- Houston Texans
There are huge changes on the horizon for the Texans’ offense. The Texans have the draft capital to select a franchise quarterback and stud receiver early in the first round of the 2023 draft and if they decide to do so Quentin Johnston could be a perfect match. Johnston could be exactly what the Texans need to pair with a rookie quarterback to unlock both of their ceilings.
The days of Brandin Cooks in Houston appear to be numbered and if he does elect to move on in free agency it could leave a massive opportunity for Johnston. He would step in as the defacto Alpha receiver from day one and could be a force to be reckoned with even in his rookie year. The duo of Young and Johnston may require some time to develop as rookie QB/WR combos don’t typically produce at an elite level, but long term this could be one of the most elite duos in the NFL.
This landing spot only piles on to the high-risk, high-reward nature of Quentin Johnston. A Texans landing spot could produce a top 5 fantasy receiver, but it could also produce a first-round bust.
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Image Credit: Tim Heitman – USA TODAY Sports
