Quentin Johnston Scouting Report

Height: 6'3
Weight: 208
BMI: 26.0
Age: 21.6
NFL Draft Pick: Round 1, Pick 21
Draft Sharks Model Score: 7.84
Analytics Score: 0.67
Film Score: 0.48
Production Score: 0.48
Player Comp: Demaryius Thomas

Johnston isn’t as refined a prospect – and therefore probably not as safe – as Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Zay Flowers, and Jordan Addison. But his combination of size, power, and athleticism gives him a higher fantasy ceiling than those other first-rounders.

Johnston projects as a big-play guy in the NFL, especially after the catch but also on deep balls. There are shades of the late Demaryius Thomas to his game. 

Quentin Johnston Team Fit: Los Angeles Chargers

There are short-term roadblocks for Johnston in Los Angeles.

WRs Mike Williams and Keenan Allen both ranked top 20 among 84 qualifying WRs in Pro Football Focus receiving grade and yards per route run last year. If healthy, they're locked in as the Chargers' top two WRs in 2023.

2023 Fantasy Value

Johnston still has a shot to help fantasy owners this coming season, though.

Last year's Chargers finished second league-wide with 711 pass attempts. They swapped OC Joe Lombardi for OC Kellen Moore this offseason, but Moore figures to deploy a similarly pass-heavy attack.

In that case, Johnston could be a fantasy asset -- even as the Chargers' No. 3 WR.

Long-Term Dynasty Value

Los Angeles is a ceiling-boosting landing spot for Johnston's long-term dynasty fantasy football value.

He's tied to QB Justin Herbert, a still-ascending 25-year-old with as much arm talent as any QB in the league. Herbert currently has two seasons left on his rookie contract but is a good bet to sign a long-term extension with the Chargers within the next 12 months.

As for the rest of the WR room, Williams and Allen are both signed for two more seasons but carry cap hits north of $30 million in 2024 that will force the Chargers to make tough decisions. There's a good chance that at least one of those guys is gone next year, paving the way for Johnston to step into a top-2 spot on the depth chart.

And, if he hits his ceiling, Johnston has the potential to emerge as Herbert's long-term No. 1 WR. That'd give him massive fantasy upside.

Johnston already sits inside the top 25 in our dynasty WR rankings.

Off to a Strong Start

Johnston opened training camp as the Chargers’ No. 3 WR (behind Keenan Allen and Mike Williams). That bodes well for the rookie’s fantasy value. Both Allen and Williams have missed significant playing time over the past several seasons — meaning Johnston is likely to start a handful of games in 2023. He’ll have value in redraft, best ball, and dynasty leagues.   

Quentin Johnston Combine Results

Wingspan: 81.5"
Arm length: 33.5"
Hand size: 9.5"
40-yard dash: DNP
10-yard split: DNP
Bench press: DNP
Vertical: 40.5"
Broad jump: 11'2
3-cone drill: DNP
20-yard shuttle: DNP

Percentiles vs. Combine wide receivers since 1999, per MockDraftable.

Quentin Johnston  College Stats

A unanimous four-star prospect out of Temple High School in Texas, Johnston accepted a scholarship offer from TCU over in-state rival Texas, as well as offers from Oklahoma, Baylor, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, and Nebraska, among others.

A Promising Debut

Johnston earned himself a significant role as a true freshman in 2020, leading the team in pass routes and receiving yards. He ranked second in both catches and receiving TDs for a TCU squad that finished 101st in the nation in passing yards per game.  

Johnston accounted for 13.4% of the team’s receptions, 24.8% of the receiving yards, and 18.2% of the receiving scores. He closed his freshman campaign with 114- and 133-yard outings in TCU’s final two games.

Explosive Sophomore Season

Johnston played in nine of 12 games as a sophomore, missing one with a knee injury and the final two with an undisclosed injury. He still managed to lead TCU in receiving yards and TDs, ranking second to senior WR Derius Davis in catches.  

Johnston registered strong market shares in his nine outings: 21.9% of the receptions, 29.5% of the receiving yards, and 46.2% of the receiving TDs.

He was a big-play machine, averaging 19.2 yards per catch on a huge 18.7-yard average depth of target. Johnston saw 26 of his 61 total targets (42.6%) came 20+ yards downfield. He caught just eight of those 26 but turned them into 265 yards and five TDs.

New Career Highs in 2022

Johnston dealt with an ankle injury for parts of this past season but ultimately played in 14 of TCU’s 15 games. He matched his six TDs from the previous year but set new career highs with 4.3 catches and 76.4 receiving yards per game. Johnston led the Horned Frogs in all major receiving categories, accounting for 23.3% of the receptions, 30.7% of the receiving yards, and 22.2% of the receiving TDs in his 14 games.

Johnston earned a personal-best 77.0 Pro Football Focus (PFF) receiving grade in 2022, ranking 68th among 377 qualifying WRs. His 3.05 yards per route run was good for 10th out of those 377 wideouts.

Johnston’s average depth of target sunk to 12.9 yards this past year, but he still averaged a big 17.8 yards per catch. He was a monster with the ball in his hands, ripping off an average of 8.9 yards after the catch. That ranked ninth among those 377 qualifying WRs.

Johnston remained busy downfield, too, drawing 25 targets of 20+ yards. He caught 10 of those for 427 yards and 5 TDs.

Quentin Johnston Highlights

Games watched: West Virginia (2021), Kansas, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Michigan

YAC Monster

Johnston is at his best with the ball in his hands. In fact, he’s one of the most exciting after-catch WR prospects in recent memory.

The 215-pounder is in attack mode as soon as he secures the ball.  He regularly uses this head-fake spin move to avert defenders before turning upfield.

Johnston has no issue fighting through contact to pick up extra yards and possesses a pretty nasty stiff arm.

Most impressive, though, is his agility. He cuts and accelerates like a much smaller WR.

Downfield Prowess

Johnston is also a deep-ball weapon, thanks to his size and long-striding speed.

He also flashes the ability to win 50-50 balls downfield.

Contested-Catch Underachiever

But I was generally underwhelmed by Johnston’s performance in contested situations. The numbers agree: Johnston converted just 42.7% of his contested opportunities over three college seasons, according to PFF. That includes just eight of 23 (34.8%) last year.

Johnston has a bad habit of letting the ball get into his body when defenders are near, which ends up negating his size advantage.

Needs Improvement: Route Running

Johnston is just OK as a route runner. He’s best on crossing routes where he can simply use his speed to run away from defenders. But he struggles at times creating separation on routes like slants and comebacks that require sharper breaks.

His combination of size and movement ability at least suggests that he has the potential to improve as a route runner.