Next up on our scouting report series for the Tennessee Titans ahead of the 2023 NFL draft is one of the more controversial on-field prospects in the class, TCU wide receiver Quentin Johnston.
As you would imagine, the former Horned Frog has been tied to the Titans for quite some time for a couple of obvious reasons. As a whole, the Titans have one of the least talented wide receiver rooms in the entire league.
Meanwhile, you could make a strong argument that Johnston has the highest ceiling among all of the top receiver prospects in the Draft. Those two realities are always going to cause a mutual interest to some extent.
NFL Network’s Jane Slater recently disclosed that the Titans had breakfast with Johnston prior to his Pro Day. She even went as far as to say that she’s heard that Tennessee is “interested in him”.
This article is going to discuss some of the pros and cons of selecting a high-upside prospect who also has a relatively dangerous floor.
Before we get started, a quick reminder that all of the grades and individual rankings that are included are my own opinions after spending the last few months studying each of these individuals.
Johnston has caused several heated debates among fans and media members alike, so let’s get a better idea as to what exactly makes him so polarizing.
Measurables
- Height: 6’3’’
- Weight: 208 pounds
- Hand Size: 9 5/8’’
- Arm length: 33 5/8
- 40-time: 4.48
- Relative Athletic Score: 9.60
Quentin Johnston is a WR prospect in the 2023 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.60 RAS out of a possible 10.00 after his pro day (with projected splits). This ranked 120 out of 2989 WR from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/lJAIo7X7dX #RAS pic.twitter.com/g1IgIkvZ77
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 31, 2023
College Accolades
- First-Team All-Big 12 (2021)
- First-Team All-Big 12 (2022)
2022 Stats
- Receptions: 60
- Receiving Yards: 1,069
- Yards per Reception: 17.8
- Yards per Route run: 3.05
- Drop Rate: 11.8 percent
- Deep Catches: 10 (427 yards)
- Screen Catches: 20 (166 yards)
Grades, Projections and Rankings
- Overall Grade: 80.1 (first round)
- Ceiling Projection: Top-10 pick
- Floor Projection: Late first
- Position Rank: No. 3
- Consensus Rank: No. 2
Reasons to Buy In
- Highest ceiling amongst all the wide receivers in the class.
- Capable of becoming a truly special weapon in the NFL if he ever puts it all together.
- You can teach someone how to be more precise with their routes, but you can’t teach his blend of size, speed, quickness, and explosive fluidity.
- Rare start and stop ability for someone of his stature.
- Has a crazy ability to spin away from contact at the catch point in off coverage.
- Constantly aware of where the nearest defender is and uses his own momentum/over aggressiveness to gain extra yardage.
- Produced an elite yards per route run of 3.05 in 2022.
- In a class full of WR2’s and WR3’s, he is one of the few with true No. 1 potential.
Areas of Concern
- Doesn’t play like a 6-foot-2 WR, often resorting to body catches in contested situations.
- Frustrating how he consistently refuses to attack the football at its highest point — will let the ball come to his hands instead of plucking it from the air.
- Route-running isn’t nearly as refined as you would like — has a bad habit of rounding off his routes instead of making sharp breaks
- Needs to be more manipulative with his overall game.
- Has a bad habit of telegraphing his routes and needs to learn how to use different speeds to set up the opposition.
- Occasionally gets alligator arms in traffic, which can lead to unacceptable drops.
- Had a concerning drop rate of 11.8 percent in 2022 (eight drops).
- The physical aspect of his game is relatively non-existent — defensive backs would fear him much more if he used his physical assets to his advantage.
Fit with the Titans
Johnston is another polarizing player who is often described as a boom-or-bust prospect.
Some believe he’s undoubtedly the most talented receiver in the draft, while others remain skeptical that he will ever maximize his talent to the fullest at the NFL level.
I personally lie somewhere in the middle of the debate.
One thing that there is no denying is the fact that the TCU product has all the physical tools in the shed to possibly become one of the most dominant wide receivers in the league if he gets in the right situation and learns the nuances of the position.
Despite his 6-foot-3, 208-pound frame, Johnston is one of the most athletically-fluid and explosive pass-catchers in the class. He has a unique ability to stop and start whenever he pleases while also having rare instincts to go with it.
I don’t think there is anyone on tape who is more aware of where the nearest defender is at all times. Johnston consistently displays a crazy ability to spin away from contact at the catch point so he can gain extra yardage.
Truthfully, in a class full of complementary wideouts that are probably better suited as the second or third option on the depth chart, Johnston is one of the few that has legitimate No. 1 wide receiver potential.
Arguably the biggest knock on Johnston’s game is his inconsistency when it comes to playing like the big wide receiver that he is. There are far too many occasions of the TCU product not going up to make a play on the ball.
Instead, he often resorts to letting the ball come to him, and to make matters worse, he often pairs it with a body catch rather than relying on his hands.
This can be very frustrating on tape at times because several mistakes would be avoided if he took advantage of his length and simply attacked the ball at its highest point.
Johnston is far from a finished product, but if the Titans plan on swinging for the fences at their biggest position of need, selecting the TCU legend at No. 11 makes a ton of sense.
However, if Tennessee is going to take a gamble like this, they need to have full faith in their coaching staff to get the most out of the talented wide receiver.
Otherwise, we could be looking at another situation in which the Titans are pretty much solely reliant on Treylon Burks to be their only adequate weapon out wide.
Check out more of Shaun Calderon's scouting reports!
