Quentin Johnston Draft Profile – 2023 NFL Draft
Quentin Johnston NFL Draft Scouting Report Introduction
Quentin Johnston is a highly touted football prospect from Temple High School, who was ranked among the top 100 recruits in the country. As a receiver recruit from Texas, he was third in his class, just behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and was the second-highest recruit to sign with TCU in 2020, following closely behind running back Zach Evans.
In his freshman year at TCU in 2020, Johnston saw action in 9 games, recording 22 receptions for 487 yards, with an average of 22.1 yards per catch, 2 touchdowns, and a quarterback rating of 112.6 when targeted. Despite an injury in the seventh game of the 2021 season, he still managed to lead TCU in receiving yards and touchdowns with 33 catches for 604 yards and 6 touchdowns. This performance earned him recognition as a 2021 First-Team All-Big 12 selection.
As a junior in 2022, Johnston continued to impress, playing in 12 games and recording 53 catches for 901 yards, with an average of 17.0 yards per catch, 5 touchdowns, and a quarterback rating of 103.1 when targeted.
Quentin Johnston 2023 NFL Draft Profile
Throughout his college career, Johnston has demonstrated his abilities as a precise route runner, who creates separation through quick outs and stop patterns. He has exceptional stop-start ability and lateral agility, making him a threat downfield. He is capable of accelerating to top speed quickly and is able to stack up on top of cornerbacks with ease. His body control is impressive, as he is able to contort himself to make difficult catches and excels on back-shoulder throws.
He stands at 6-4, weighs 210 pounds, and has remarkable athletic traits such as a vertical jump of 42 inches and a broad jump of 11 feet. He has clocked a 4.4 40-yard dash and has a back squat of 575 pounds. Despite missing three games in 2021, he still managed to make first-team All-Big 12, with 33 catches for 634 yards and six touchdowns.
Johnston’s combination of speed, acceleration, and size make him a unique prospect in the class. He is a super athletic player with elite speed and an impressive catch radius, along with long arms and elite leaping ability. He is a force in catch-and-run situations, transitioning quickly upfield after the catch and able to pick up chunks of yardage. He possesses good straight-line speed and solid ball-tracking skills, able to adjust to off-target throws.
Quentin Johnston forty yard dash- 4.4 seconds
Quentin Johnson– A.J. Green
Scouting Report- Strengths
Johnston flashed very good hands, accepting the ball fluidly on most throws and ready to make a play afterward. He is capable of making catches in traffic, even going up over taller defenders with vertical and toughness.
He is a savvy and natural pass-catcher with solid hands and good focus, snatching the ball out of the air and making acrobatic catches look easy. He is equally dangerous in catch-and-run situations as he is taking the top off a defense.
Johnston combines top-end speed with great length. He’s nearly impossible to stop in the open field and is a tough matchup for any corner.
Johnston finished his college career at TCU without living the production living up to his potential, but scouts will be able to look past that come April. He possesses everything that you can’t teach and has some weaknesses that should be able to be improved on the football field throughout his rookie season.
Scouting Report- Weaknesses
Despite his size, he is not a dominant blocker and will need to develop these skills in order to become a complete professional player. One of the areas of focus for scouts will be the extent to which he expands his route tree, which has been limited during his time at TCU. Additionally, Johnston will need to refine his ability to sit down against zone coverage, as this will be critical for his success at the next level.
One of the areas where Johnston has struggled is in contested catches. Although he has impressive athletic traits, he hasn’t quite lived up to expectations in this aspect of the game. He has also had issues with focus drops, as evidenced by the 8 drops he had in the 2022 season.
Another area of concern is his ability to handle press coverage, as he has been known to spend too much time hand-fighting at the line of scrimmage.
Despite these weaknesses, Johnston has shown flashes of brilliance and has the potential to make a huge impact in the NFL if he can refine his skills and overcome these areas of concern.
Quentin Johnson 2023 NFL Draft Summary
WR Johnston lacks some of the college football production over the seasons that the other receivers in his class may have achieved, but Horned Frogs wide receiver is NFL ready and his athleticism will separate him from the rest of wide receiver group.
Plus Side:
- Johnston’s size will make captivate teams
- WR Johnston has a second gear to create separation from defenders
- Precise route running and body control
Negatives:
- Lack of physicality than you would expect
- Needs to expand tree as a route runner
- Slow start and never dominated as the top wide receiver should
WR Quentin Johnston is an elite NFL talent who has an unparalleled combination of athleticism and size for his draft class. We have the TCU Horned Frogs stand out as our #1 ranked out of the 2023 NFL draft wide receivers group and 11th overall prospect. This wide receiver will be a nightmare for NFL defensive backs. If he can improve as a complete football player from his seasons at TCU, an opposing defense will have their hands full trying to minimize the damage he can inflict.