Chargers general manager Tom Telesco loves big receivers, and Johnston certainly fits that paradigm, but with Johnston, there are some legitimate questions about his route palette, and the drops are a real problem that Los Angeles’ coaches will have to rectify. He’s a yards-after-catch monster with all kinds of explosive potential, but this is an iffy pick with so much other receiver talent still left on the board.
Height: 6′ 2¾” (76th percentile) Weight: 208 (64th)
40-Yard Dash: N/A
10-Yard Split: N/A
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 40½” (93rd)
Broad Jump: 134″ (97th)
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Wingspan: 81⅝” (96th)
Arm Length: 33⅝” (91st)
Hand Size: 9⅝” (68th)
Bio: Johnston was a basketball and track star at Temple High School in Temple, Texas, but football was his primary avocation. A four-star recruit, Johnston originally committed to Texas, but repeated entreaties from then-TCU head coach Gary Patterson and receivers coach Malcolm Kelly had Johnston changing his mind in favor of the Horned Frogs. Over three seasons with TCU, Johnston caught 115 passes in 199 targets for 2,158 yards and 14 touchdowns. In 2022, he had 412 snaps out wide, and 35 in the slot.
Stat to Know: 533 of Johnston’s 1,069 receiving yards came after the catch in 2022, the most YAC for any receiver in this class. Even a cursory look at his game tape will leave you completely unsurprised by this particular metric.
Strengths: Johnston’s size/speed profile forced defenses think more than twice about giving him single coverage; you really needed a bracket to deal with him when he was on point. As a deep crosser/post weapon, he is a real problem.
That’s also where the after-catch magic comes in; unless you’ve got your shoulders square to attack Johnston when he’s got the ball, you are in for a rude education.
Not that Johnston is limited to after-catch magic. This 51-yard catch against Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship game saw him shaking cornerback Julius Brents out of the picture, and adjusting to a pressured throw from quarterback Max Duggan.
Weaknesses: Johnston’s much-discussed issues with drops are definitely a thing. He had eight last season, and most of them were either simple focus drops, or instances in which he was so into turning and getting upfield, that he forgot to bring the ball with him. Oops.
And for a receiver his size, with his physicality as a pass-catcher, you’d certainly want him to be a more consistent and willing blocker.
Conclusion: Johnston profiles as a legitimate WR1 at the NFL level from a size/speed/traits perspective, but there are elements to his game that are lacking at this point, and he’s going to have to firm them up before he can really be that level of asset for his next team. Not that he can’t be a contributor in the NFL right away, but early on, there might be as much frustration as there is expectation until and unless he cuts down on the drops, expands his route palette, and plays in a more physical style that befits the archetype.
NFL Comparison: Tee Higgins. Selected with the first pick in the second round of the 2020 draft (the same draft that gave the Bengals Joe Burrow with the first overall pick), Higgins came into the league as a big (6-foot-4, 219 pound) receiver with all the traits, but gaps in consistency. Higgins has been incredibly productive in the NFL, especially over the last two seasons, and like Higgins, Johnston could be the same in any offense where he’s not the alpha dog, with the point of defensive focus on him every week. He could be part of a hellacious one-two punch, as Higgins is with Ja’Marr Chase, pretty quickly.
