His size gets nullified a bit because he's not a natural hands catcher. He doesn't extend and use that length like you'd think. He lets the ball get into his body quite a bit. He doesn't win with great positioning either. What good is it to be 6-2" when you don't position well and let the ball hit your shoulder pads? There's not much evidence of him using his length to pluck the ball out of the air, or keep it away from a DB so only he can get it.

I'm not saying he CAN'T be a good player. To me he's an end of the 1st round at best, and that's only because it's a weak receiver class.
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Then you put on a guy like Zay Flowers and it's like, this guy is a natural NFL WR, size be damned. You put the dog that's in Zay Flowers into a frame like Johnston and you have a top 10 pick.
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Let's say he learns to run routes in the NFL because all WRs do and they all pretty much come in not very good at it and run an underdeveloped tree. To be honest, that's a tiring argument that mostly gets me pissy to just even think about discussing again.

If he goes out and runs a 4.40 at his pro day, what are you going to think then? I'm leaning a bit slower. If you held me down and said pick a number, I'd say 4.48. Physically, he reminds me of Donovan Peoples-Jone.

So, it's really about his hands, which aren't completely terrible but you'd like to see better. Get the kid a date with a jugs machine and bank on 2022 being more of an outlier.

People here love Flowers and he has a higher career drop rate than Johnston...
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I'd feel better about him, sure, but i still don't know that it'd move the needle all that much for me. It's not his speed that bothers me. I just happen to think we may be over rating it a bit. There's times he looks fast, but i find that when he looks fast, he's often already full stride.

Then there's moments where it looks like it just takes forever to get into gear. I watched him on a couple free releases and he wasn't exactly gobbling up cushions.

He's a bit of a high stepper when he runs. Those knees get way up there and those arms start churning and sometimes he can look like he's running in mud.

My gut feeling is he woulda been a 4.51-4.52 guy at the combine, and maybe that's why he didn't run.


Like you said, he and Flowers both have concentration drop issues. Again, not the biggest deal to me. You'd certainly like to see better from both, and the drops probably will follow them in the NFL as data suggests it often does.

My biggest issue with Johnston is the way he attacks the ball: He doesn't, really. You see a lot of plays where he just lets the ball fall into him. Like i said before, doing that kinda nullifies his size advantage. And he doesn't position himself that well to play the ball.

Compared to Flowers, Flowers will stop his route and elevate. He lays out for it. He goes for it. He's Tyreek Hill-like in a sense that his size doesn't keep him from contesting for the ball. For me, that's a highly desirable trait for a WR. I put it way up there in importance.

Now, i don't think a WR should be RELYING on such a trait, because IMO that suggests he struggles to separate. And there's data that supports that. But when it's required, i'd like my guy to be able to do so. So when you get a guy like Flowers who's game isn't built on contested catching, but rather quickness and fluidity, but he can contest if needed, that's a BIG+++ for me.
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Quentin Johnston is a first round talent I just don't know how high in the draft I would take him. He uses his body a little too much when receiving, and when he does use his hands he doesn't really extend them. You just need to create so much more separation when you're unwilling to extend your hands to catch the ball. As long as the team who drafts him understands what he excels at, he'll be fine. Although Johnston is 6'3 with a 40' vert, he just isn't going to be a Mike Williams type of receiver. Johnston is most effective when he can reach top gear on diagonals, overs, and vertical type of routes.

We already know that Quentin Johnston is an athletic freak. If he runs a 4.4 that's great, what I think the debate is how much can Johnston improve his craft. To me Johnston is a bit of a big man playing small, there isn't much separating Jalin Hyatt from Johnston if Johnston doesn't develop the ability to use him frame and size. Jugs machine isn't going to fix his contested catch rate (38%), he just currently doesn't possess the instincts to pluck the ball out of the air with his hands when space is at a premium.

I think Christian Watson and Quentin Johnston are essentially the same guy. If you watch Christian Watson's big plays from this past season, many of them Watson wins with so much separation that he doesn't need to high point the ball, or catch the ball in traffic. If Johnston is used in a similar fashion he'll be successful.

I'd love him on the Chiefs and hopefully he slides.
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I don’t know if I’m accidentally stereotyping. Because they look like twins.. dreads and all. But I get big Kevin White vibes with him
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Yeah, maybe Treadwell imo
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Johnston is about 10x the athlete Treadwell was. Treadwell ran like a 4.65 at his pro day and his 3 cone/shuttle were awful also.
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I think the KCSN guys said the same thing.
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Any updates on this guy?
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I don't know, but I'm still hoping he falls to 31.
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Drake London?
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Pure athlete wise Quentin Johnston is a better athlete than Drake London but London's ability to high point the football and pure ball skills are really special. If they were in the same draft class, I would take London.

Johnston reminds me a bit of Sammy Watkins coming out of college in regards to a bigger guy who moves fluid and is dangerous after the catch. The main difference being that Watkins showed great ball skills at Clemson while Johnston's hands/ball skills are likely the only characteristic holding him back from being a no brainer top 15 pick.
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Would LOVE to see him in a Chiefs' uniform. He would THRIVE in the Chiefs' offense. (Yes, I'm a biased Chiefs' homer. Sue me. :-) )
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Watson is an entirely different level of speed.
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