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Though the Kansas City Chiefs added another wide receiver to their arsenal on April 7, that unit is still lacking a big-bodied presence that can challenge secondaries in the red zone and be a large target for quarterback Patrick Mahomes outside of tight end Travis Kelce.
That’s why ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller believes the Chiefs should consider drafting one of this year’s top prospects at receiver: TCU’s Quentin Johnston.
“At No. 31 overall, there should be real talk about the Chiefs drafting the top-ranked receiver available after adding Jawaan Taylor and Charles Omenihu to fill needs on each side of the line of scrimmage,” Miller wrote on April 10. “Zay Flowers (Boston College) would fit, but a bigger receiver like Quentin Johnston (TCU) is also intriguing.”
What to Know About Quentin Johnston
NFL Media draft analyst Lance Zierlein compared Johnston to former Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles receiver Alshon Jeffery.
“Height-weight-speed prospect with the physical traits and upside that might have teams willing to overlook some of his inconsistencies on tape. Johnston is a long-striding vertical threat who can open up and separate when allowed to keep his feet moving in space,” Zierlein wrote. “His elevation and catch radius create an expansive target area down the field, but his overall success rate on contested catches is way lower than it should be for a receiver of his size. Johnston needs a specific route tree, but will improve in that area at the next level. He will benefit from a more accurate deep-ball quarterback, but still feels more like a good WR2 than a high-volume WR1.”
Johnston, who stands at 6-foot-4 and weighs 208 pounds, according to Zierlein, possesses elite physical traits. What prevents him from being an elite NFL prospect is consistency in his route-running and catching, Zierlein wrote. Because of that, there’s a chance he might not go early in the first round despite being widely considered the top receiver in this year’s draft class.
A recent tweet by Jim Nagy revealed that Johnston might even be available come the end of Day 1 of the NFL draft.
Jim Nagy: NFL Isn’t ‘High’ on 2023 WR Class
According to Jim Nagy, an 18-year NFL scout and the director of the Reese’s Senior Bowl, there’s a large discrepancy between how the media and the NFL view this year’s wide receiver class.
“One thing has become clear on calls around league past couple weeks: NFL isn’t nearly as high on this year’s WR class as media,” Nagy wrote on April 10. “Frequently seeing 4-5 wideouts in mocks. Have spoken to numerous teams that have only one first round grade at the position. That guy is JSN.”
“JSN” is Ohio State receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
If that’s the case, and several teams don’t view Johnston as a first-round receiver, then he could still be available by the time Kansas City selects 31st overall. That would mean the Chiefs could draft a potential WR1 without having to trade up in the first round, which would be an ideal scenario for the defending Super Bowl champions.
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