Getty TCU quarterback Chandler Morris throws a deep pass in 2021.
It hasn’t been long since the Detroit Lions put the finishing touches on the 2022 NFL draft, but time marches on quickly in the league, and already, a new name is surging forward for the team ahead of the college football season.
While many figure the Lions will be in the market for a quarterback, the team’s roster does still need to find plenty of other fixes, and shouldn’t be coy about trying to continue to build depth the right way on either side of the ball. To that end, keeping an open mind about the draft could figure to be very important for the team.
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Pro Football Focus recently identified a college football player for every single team in the league to watch coming up this season. Perhaps interestingly, that player wasn’t a quarterback for Detroit in spite of their possible need at the spot moving forward. Instead, another wide receiver was the target in TCU’s Quentin Johnson.
As Michael Renner wrote in the piece, the Lions have perhaps enough roster talent that they will find it difficult to land a top-end quarterback, which could push them to solve that need in another way. In that case, the team should look at a player like Johnson.
“While the receiving corps got an overhaul this offseason, D.J. Chark is only on a one-year deal. Johnston could provide a similarly rangey target in the offseason. The 6-foot-4, 201-pounder is a man possessed with the ball in his hands — he’s broken 26 tackles on 55 catches in his career,” Renner wrote of the talented Johnson.
It’s true that the Lions could use more help athletically, and a player like Johnson could be an ideal fit for the team. Explosive plays are a must, so a player with a bigger body could be the ticket toward getting more excitement for the downfield passing attack.
While the college season is exciting and there are plenty of names to watch, Johnson could be the one person to keep most in mind at this point in time.
Johnson’s College Stats & Highlights
While playing for the Horned Frogs, Johnson has put up solid numbers thus far in his career. In just two seasons of work, Johnson has 1,121 yards and 8 touchdowns to his credit as a wideout. He also has collected a pair of rushing touchdowns in his career, showing his overall ability to be an exciting piece for an offense.
The highlights so far do show a player who can make the big play as well as show himself as a fluid runner and athlete. Here’s a look at what Johnson has done so far while on the field in the Big 12:
Heading into his third season, most expect Johnson to take a huge leap, which makes him an interesting candidate as a top player to watch in Detroit. If he shows out again, there is the chance the Lions might be able to land another great player for their offense to complement what is already looking like a solid group.
Lions Investing in Wide Receiver Draft Picks
The Lions have done a nice job in recent years trying to re-invent their wide receiver group. Just last year, the team seemed to be in a tough spot due to the lack of talented players, but Amon-Ra St. Brown’s emergence helped that in a big way after he was a fourth-round pick of the team in 2021.
When the 2022 NFL draft came, the Lions managed to swing another deal up the board to nab Alabama’s Jameson Williams, who is a very exciting talent in his own right. A potential one-two punch of St. Brown and Williams is nice for the future. Add to that players such as Trinity Benson, Quintez Cephus and potentially DJ Chark if he sticks around and the Lions could have a talented young group to build around.
Adding one more player to this mix could be a good way to finish off the building at wideout. Come the 2023 draft, that’s just what some think the move could be. If Johnson has any say, it could easily be the case.