Los Angeles Chargers select Quentin Johnston in first round of 2023 NFL Draft

Former TCU receiver Quentin Johnston was one of the best at his position in college, and now he’s ready to prove himself in the NFL. Johnston will begin his pro career with the Los Angeles Chargers, who selected him No. 21 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Johnston recorded 115 catches for 2,190 yards and 14 touchdowns across three seasons with the Horned Frogs. This past season he helped lead them to a 12-0 regular season record and the College Football Playoff Championship Game, where they lost to Georgia. He earned first team All-Big 12 honors the past two seasons and was also a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award in 2022.

This past season, Johnston posted a career-high 1,069 yards and six touchdowns on 60 catches. That included six catches for 163 yards and a touchdown in a CFP semifinal win against Michigan, after which he was named the game’s Most Valuable Offensive Player.

“I’m a 6-3, 6-4 receiver that’s able to create real separation at the top of my routes, in and out of my breaks and yards after catch is top tier,” Johnston said at TCU’s Pro Day. “I’ve set records in the Big 12 for most of my first and second year combined. I feel like [I’m a] big [target] when I’m at the top of my route and [in] the deep route, I’m real good as well.”

Johnston played high school football for Temple High School (TX), where he was a four-star prospect. He ranked as the No. 84 overall recruit and No. 17 receiver in the 2020 class according to the On3 Industry Rating, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Quentin Johnston

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlien provided some analysis on Johnston in a recent scout of the receiver’s draft profile. The analyst compared him to Alshon Jeffery, who played nine NFL seasons with the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles.

Zierlien highlighted the length and speed of Johnston, saying he has what it takes to become a potential second option in an NFL passing attack.

“Height-weight-speed prospect with the physical traits and upside that might have teams willing to overlook some of his inconsistencies on tape,” he wrote. “Johnston is a long-striding vertical threat who can open up and separate when allowed to keep his feet moving in space. His elevation and catch radius create an expansive target area down the field, but his overall success rate on contested catches is way lower than it should be for a receiver of his size.

“Johnston needs a specific route tree, but will improve in that area at the next level. He will benefit from a more accurate deep-ball quarterback, but still feels more like a good WR2 than a high-volume WR1.”