Quentin Johnston: Dynasty Rookie Draft Advice (2023 Fantasy Football)

The 2023 NFL Draft is in the books, and now it’s time for dynasty rookie drafts. Landing spots and draft capital have been determined, and we’re here with your dynasty rookie draft outlooks. Let’s take a look at what Derek Brown expects of Quentin Johnston.

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Dynasty Rookie Draft Picks & Predictions: Quentin Johnston

Quentin Johnston (TCU)

.@TCUFootball WR Quentin Johnston's ability to make the first defender miss at 6'4" 215 is incredible. his start-stop ability and lateral quickness are special. #2023NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/lpVewIfFpC

— Ray G (@RayGQue) February 24, 2023

Stats:

2022 (286 FBS WRs, minimum 50 targets)
- Yards per route run: 9th
- PFF receiving grade: 65th
- YAC per reception: 6th
2021 (251 FBS WRs, minimum 50 targets)
- Yards per route run: 42nd
- PFF receiving grade: 75th
- YAC per reception: 38th

Scouting report:

Quentin Johnston has easy and immediate speed that jumps off the screen on film. Johnson is a RAC specialist. With his loose hips, he transitions from receiver to runner fluidly. His burst is automatic. His juice and his upper body strength make him a frustrating player for defenders to wrap up consistently. Johnston ranked 11th in missed tackles forced and sixth in YAC per reception last season (minimum 50 targets).
Johnston has all the raw skills to fulfill his potential as a No. 1 option in a passing game as an X receiver. He still has plenty of development hurdles to cross to get there, though. Johnston isn’t a nuanced route runner. While his first step is explosive, allowing him to gain immediate separation on drive routes, he lacks the extra polish that could really make him shine.
Johnston doesn’t consistently stack corners on nines. While he won in college by running by corners, that won’t be as easy in the NFL. He ran primarily comebacks, gos, and crossers toward daylight at TCU. When he’s changing direction on posts and corners, he needs to do a better job of selling the vertical stem. The same can be said for comebacks and curls. While Johnston can flip his hips easily, he needs to do a better job of selling the vertical element. His jab steps are pronounced. His sloppiness with these routes allows corners to hang with him or close quickly.
Johnston’s physicality after the catch doesn’t show up at the catch point. Considering his size, he needs to be stronger at the point of attack. He limped to 34.8% and 36.8% contested catch rates over the last two years. He also dealt with concentration drops at times.

Player Comp: Brandon Aiyuk

Dynasty Outlook: Johnston is now tied to the rifle arm of Justin Herbert for the foreseeable future. That is not too shabby for a wide receiver that had been rumored to possibly fall out of the first round of the NFL Draft. The combination of the aging body of Keenan Allen and the brittle joints of Mike Williams (which combined for 23 games played last year) could leave Johnston as Herbert’s defacto number-one wide receiver at times in 2023. Even with those two veterans on the field, Johnston should immediately be the team’s field stretcher. Under new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, this could be a bountiful role in 2023. In Dak Prescott’s two full seasons under Moore, he finished five and seventh in deep ball attempts. Last year at TCU, Johnston ranked 23rd in deep receiving yards and 13th in deep receiving touchdowns (per PFF, minimum ten deep targets). Johnston should be drafted somewhere in the company of this class’s three other first-round wide receivers. He should be a top-five selection in 1QB leagues and top-ten in Superflex formats.