Vikings Draft Thermometer: WR Quentin Johnston
Josh Frey
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Welcome to the Vikings Draft Thermometer series, PurplePTSD‘s one-stop shop for all your 2023 NFL Draft needs. Throughout this series, we will be examining a number of prospects ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft, analyzing their strengths, weaknesses, what exactly their role could be at the NFL level, and most importantly, whether or not they could end up playing their first NFL snaps in a Vikings uniform. With that, let’s take a look at today’s prospect: TCU WR Quentin Johnston.
Background
- Height: 6’4″
- Weight: 215
- School: TCU
- Games Watched: Oklahoma (2022), Oklahoma State (2022), Baylor (2022), Michigan (2022)
Statistics
- 2020: 22 receptions, 487 yards, 2 TDs (8 games)
- 2021: 33 receptions, 634 yards, 6 TDs (8 games)
- 2022: 60 receptions, 1069 yards, 6 TDs (14 games)
Strengths
The first thing you’ll notice when watching Quentin Johnston is his combination of size and athleticism. He looks the part of an NFL wide receiver in every game he plays. He’s explosive off the line of scrimmage, has terrific acceleration, and his route movements are fluid. From these attributes alone, he could be a star in the NFL.
His length creates a massive catch radius, and in one-on-one situations, you won’t find anyone better. He imposes his physicality on smaller cornerbacks and can go up and make any catch. Because of his speed and elusiveness, he’s also a threat after the catch. His yards per reception in 2020 of 22.1 was the highest of any true freshman in Big 12 history.
Johnson’s route tree at TCU wasn’t exactly vast (which may cause him to fall a bit in the draft), but he has all the tools to expand his impact in the NFL. Of all the wide receivers in the 2023 NFL Draft, his floor is the highest, and the ceiling is superstar.
Weaknesses
Johnston has very few weaknesses in terms of his actual receiving abilities, but there are some things he needs to work on. First and foremost, drops can be a problem with him. Johnston has had some issues in this department, especially in 2022, and that habit needs to be left behind.
In addition, he is far from a finished product as a blocker, despite what his physical numbers suggest. This limits his ability to impact running plays or screen passes to other players, and he will need to get better in this department to become a more complete player.
NFL Projections
- Draft Round: Early-Mid First Round
- Immediate Role: Starting outside WR
- Best-Cast Scenario: All-Pro player
- Vikings Draft Temperature (0= no interest, 100= get him a purple jersey now): 55
If I had to choose a wide receiver right now to be the first player off the board in the 2023 Draft, it’d be Quentin Johnston. He has all the tools to be a star X receiver for an NFL team, and he can be a playmaker in multiple different ways whether it be with precise route running or by taking the top off a defense.
Because of that, it’s going to be a shock if he’s still on the board when the Minnesota Vikings pick late in the first round. However, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has shown he’s willing to be aggressive to get a player that he believes can fill a need on his roster. Right now, the Vikings have a clear No. 1 in Justin Jefferson, but things get a bit murky if you go down further than that. Because of that, if the Vikings are to trade up in the first round, I’d hope it’s to snatch Johnston to pair with Jefferson.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. He also earned minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys marathon training, playing video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his opinions, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.