The 2023 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. Here is the Quentin Johnston 2023 NFL Draft Profile.
Position: Wide Receiver
School: TCU
Size: 6-foot-4, 193 Pounds
Class: Junior
2022 stats: 60 receptions, 1,069 receiving yards, 17.8 yards per catch, six touchdowns
Johnston had an opportunity to transfer during his time at TCU, but he decided to stick it out for the Horned Frogs. He is now in the 2023 NFL Draft.
As a recruit, Johnston was ranked four stars and decided to stay in his home state to play for TCU. In his freshman season, Johnston played in eight games, finishing the year with 22 reception for 487 yards and two touchdowns. He improved as a sophomore with 33 receptions for 634 yards and six touchdowns, as the Horned Frogs won just five games. Johnston decided to return to the school for his junior season and showed some progress. He finished the season with 60 receptions for 1,069 yards and six touchdowns. His play helped TCU make it all the way to the National Championship Game.
Following the season, Johnston declared for the 2023 NFL Draft. He is currently projected to be a first-round pick.
The first thing NFL evaluators will notice about Johnston is his height and length. He is 6-foot-4, which helps make him a mismatch for most corners. This size gives him a nice catch radius, as he has shown the ability to high-point the football. Opponents will have to keep in mind who they have covering him because he can make teams pay for matching him up with smaller corners. He makes plenty of contested catches with a lot of it being because of his size.
Johnston is a good deep threat for an offense. He has good speed for his size, as his long legs help him run by defensive backs. Once he gets a step on a defensive back, he tracks the ball well. He is aggressive in going after the football and he can usually win the ball over the corner because of his height. Teams can throw jump balls in his direction and he can come down with it.
For his size, Johnston is also solid at running after the catch. TCU was able to get him the ball on shorter routes and then he used the combination of his size and speed to pick up extra yardage. He has several big plays on tape that start with him catching the ball in the short area of the field and taking it a long way. Johnston can make some lateral moves on defenders, but he is best at trusting his speed and size.
There will be plenty of questions on whether Johnston can separate from defenders. He is not the greatest route-runner, as he struggles to get in and out of his breaks quickly. Because of this, he thrived on contested catches at the college level. On top of the struggles as a route-runner, he also needs to add more routes to this route tree. He can also work on his releases to set up defensive backs better.
Johnston suffered from focus drops during his college career. It looks like he is looking to turn upfield and run with the ball before he brings the ball in. Against Kansas State in the regular season, he dropped at least two passes that he should have hauled in. He can make good contested catches, but he also needs to make easy catches as well.
For him to be more successful, he needs to add more weight to his frame. This will help him outmuscle defensive backs even more. It will also help him engage with his blocks more in the running game, where his effort comes and goes. The most applicable part of adding strength to his game will be beating press coverage, which is something he has struggled with in his college career.
Projected Draft Range: First-Round Pick
Draft Grade: First-Round Pick
Make sure to check out our NFL Draft page for more content like Quentin Johnston 2023 NFL Draft Profile!
You can like The Game Haus on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from great TGH writers!
