Getty Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
As it stands, the Kansas City Chiefs are set to make Kadarius Toney their WR1 next season. But what if the Chiefs loved a 2023 wide receiver prospect so much that they traded up to get him on Day 1 of the draft, which would put Toney’s WR1 role in jeopardy?
That’s what Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame had in mind when he did his latest mock draft. In the mock draft, he made 31 trades for all 31 first-round picks.
For the Chiefs, Verderame had the defending Super Bowl champions trade with the Minnesota Vikings to acquire the No. 23 pick in exchange for picks 31, 95, and 134. The player Kansas City selected with the 23rd overall pick was TCU wide receiver, Quentin Johnston.
“The Chiefs desperately need a receiver, and Johnston is an ideal fit. With 10 picks available to him, general manager Brett Veach can send third- and fourth-rounders to Minnesota, moving up eight spots to land Johnston,” Verderame wrote on April 20. “At 6’3″ and 208 pounds, the former Big 12 standout would give Patrick Mahomes a big, physical target to go with speedsters in Kadarius Toney and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Kansas City would also have another fourth-round pick despite the trade.”
Quentin Johnston on Chiefs’ Radar
On April 18, Chiefs Wire’s Charles Goldman hinted at Quentin Johnston working with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his teammates while they were at TCU. For that to legally happen, Kansas City would have had to request that Johnston work with Mahomes as part of the pre-draft process.
If that request was made, then the Chiefs have Johnston on their radar.
If draft prospects were ranked purely on physical traits, then Johnston would be this year’s unanimous WR1. However, when you add in the inconsistencies that appear on his film, you can understand why he’s not widely considered the WR1 of this year’s draft class.
To get a better understanding of Johnston’s abilities, let’s look at NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein’s overview of Johnston from Zierlein’s draft profile on the TCU wideout:
“Height-weight-speed prospect with the physical traits and upside that might have teams willing to overlook some of his inconsistencies on tape,” Zierlein wrote. “Johnston is a long-striding vertical threat who can open up and separate when allowed to keep his feet moving in space. 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.”
Giving Patrick Mahomes a large target like Johnston would benefit Kansas City’s offense immensely. But the Chiefs would need to be sure they can further develop Johnston’s abilities to help him blossom into a WR1 in the NFL.
If Kansas City’s coaching staff isn’t convinced it can do that, then spending a first-round pick on Johnston would be a waste, especially if they had to trade up to acquire him.
Twitter Reacts to Chiefs Being Linked to Quentin Johnston
Twitter users have been chatting about the Chiefs being linked to Quentin Johnson during the pre-draft process.
“I’m fully prepared to see Quentin Johnston fall to KC and have to walk to my car as chiefs fans throw another block party at union station,” one Twitter user wrote.
“I’m hearing rumors Quentin Johnston might fall late 1st round to 2nd round in the draft man if Chiefs draft him and he a stud some gms gotta get fired,” another user wrote.
I’m hearing rumors Quentin Johnston might fall late 1st round to 2nd round in the draft man if Chiefs draft him and he a stud some gms gotta get fired
“I don’t want to get excited cuz it probably won’t happen but can you imagine adding Quentin Johnston to the Chiefs offense on a rookie deal?” another user wrote.