Quentin Johnston as Buffalo Bills’ WR2

[Woodman]

Quentin Johnston would be massive handful as Buffalo Bills’ WR2 - Buffalo Rumblings (https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2023/4/5/23667891/quentin-johnston-would-be-massive-handful-as-buffalo-bills-wr2-2023-nfl-draft-tcu-gabe-davis)

So it’s quite possible the Bills will look to the 2023 NFL Draft (https://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft) to find someone better suited to play the Robin to wide receiver Stefon Diggs’ Batman. Davis doesn’t necessarily lack the prototypical qualities usually sought in a WR2 — size and the ability to win on the outside. But there may be questions about his ability to handle the full load of a WR2 route tree.

Quentin Johnston out of TCU (https://www.frogsowar.com/) could represent the type of WR2 with the traits necessary to excel on the outside in Buffalo’s offense. Let’s take a look at some tape of Johnston’s talent!

[Woodman]

He's a possibility.

[DraftBoy]

I’d imagine he’d require a trade up.

[Bill Cody]

Remember the scene in Christmas Vacation when cousin Eddie breaks into Clark Griswald's bosses house and ties him up to a chair and gags him (because the boss didn't send out Christmas bonuses)? Honest to God that's what I'd like to do with Beane on draft day until it's time for pick 27. You can picture Beane gagged, rocking back and forth on the chair, begging to trade up. And me with a medium hot coffee, maybe a scone, sitting across the room grinning at him telling him to relax.

There are going to be good players available at 27. WE'RE NOT FING TRADING UP!

[kingJofNYC]

I’d imagine he’d require a trade up.

I'd be shocked if he went before 27.

He's a weird prospect for me. Supposedly fast but doesn't look it, long stretches of doing nothing when faced with press coverage. He's a project if you ask me. Watch me be wrong, I just don't think he's a first round guy in a good class, but this may not be a good class...

I just don't know what he's going to be in the NFL.

[Night Train]

So after reading media the last month, they've narrowed it down to like 25 names we could " possibly " draft.

:rolleyes:

Hey...lets have another mock draft and pretend it's real with feigned outrage ! :rofl:

[Saratoga Slim]

Amazing athlete. But allegedly is neither a great separator nor good at contested catches. He had a 34.8% contested catch rate last year, and drop rate of 10% each year in college. I feel like if you're not good at getting open, you better be good at catching it when you're not open. Feel like someone with a high ceiling but low floor. Not sure I want to roll the dice on that at this stage. That said, he's got all the measurables and then some. Feels like a guy Beane would have a hard time passing up.

[notacon]

Amazing athlete. But allegedly is neither a great separator nor good at contested catches. He had a 34.8% contested catch rate last year, and drop rate of 10% each year in college. I feel like if you're not good at getting open, you better be good at catching it when you're not open. Feel like someone with a high ceiling but low floor. Not sure I want to roll the dice on that at this stage. That said, he's got all the measurables and then some. Feels like a guy Beane would have a hard time passing up.

Joe B.’s analysis of him (https://theathletic.com/4365720/2023/03/31/nfl-draft-bills-wide-receivers/) meshes with a lot of what you write....



Quentin Johnston, TCU


At 6-2 and 208 pounds, Johnston is far closer to the prototypical build than any of the top receiving prospects this year. But on top of that, he has elite arm length at nearly 34 inches and his explosiveness on both the vertical and broad jumps was unbelievable. On the field, Johnston plays smaller than his frame, which is good because he can break a big play after the catch at any point. Watch out if he gets loose; he threatens to take it the distance, and that’s a priority for the Bills. But the big concern is how much can he grow as a route runner, and if that helps him become an elite separator. If the Bills take him, they’ll believe in the high-ceiling potential.


Based on previous drafting history over the last five first rounds, Johnston is the most Brandon Beane-type receiver available in 2023. Beane has almost always gone for elite measurables with sky-high potential, or in Ed Oliver (https://theathletic.com/nfl/player/ed-oliver-wS7InKrtkHpNB7Lw/)’s case, nearly historic athletic testing numbers for his position. Johnston projects best to the boundary but can slide inside to play slot receiver, which offers some versatility to what they’re looking for at the position. He also would give their receivers room something it’s missing. The more I’ve thought about this pairing, the more sense it makes. If Johnston is on the board at No. 27, I would not be surprised if he’s on their short list.



The Athletic also publishes what they call “The Beast (https://theathletic.com/4387692/2023/04/10/nfl-draft-mock-the-beast-dane-brugler/?source=dailyemail&campaign=601983)” draft guide of with hundreds of scouting reports with 1,893 player ranking. Written by Dane Brugler.

Here are the scouting reports for Johnston.....



STRENGTHS: Athletic strider with outstanding size/speed/strength blend ... foot quickness to defeat the jam and create initial spacing ... quickly in-and-out of his breaks (he loves running curls) ... gives himself room along the sideline and leverages coverage to create a vertical runway ... hits a burst at the top of routes to create a stride or two of separation, making him a tough cover on posts ... run instincts are immediate at the catch, allowing him to consistently find yards after the catch ... runs with urgency, balance and a knack for eluding tackles ... has a pull-away gear once he can stretch out his long strides ... finds the football and wins with his leaping and high-pointing skills ... fluid, well-timed body adjustments to track over his shoulder or rescue throws behind him ... reserved and humble and competes with a quiet confidence ... voted one of four team captains for the 2022 season, and NFL scouts use words like “genuine” and “unselfish” to describe him ... improved production each season with experience both outside and in the slot.


<o:p></o:p>
WEAKNESSES: Focus drops are all over his tape ... has a bad habit of allowing the ball into his body or looking to run before securing ... ran a streamlined route tree and lacks stem polish/footwork ... inconsistent sink-and-burst out of breaks due to hip tightness ... doesn’t consistently play up to his size or physicality ... below- average success rate in contested situations ... needs to know when to become the defender and make sure no one catches the ball if needed ... suffered a sprained right ankle as a junior (October 2022), missing one game and battling through the pain in several others (he called it a “pain tolerance thing”); missed three games with a hyperextended knee (October 2021).

<o:p></o:p>
SUMMARY: A three-year starter at TCU, Johnston was the X wide receiver in former offensive coordinator Garrett Riley’s RPO-based offense (played the Z receiver position in 2021). He led the team in receiving yards each of his three seasons in Fort Worth and was a big-play creator before and after the catch (No. 2 in the FBS with 8.9 YAC per reception in 2022). A big man with small-man burst, Johnston accelerates well to stack, track and separate deep or create plays after the catch with his elusiveness, strength and instincts. His length and body control help him make impressive grabs away from his body, but he struggled with contested windows on tape and had more drops than touchdown catches in 2022. Overall, Johnston requires polish with his route-running and ball-finishing skills, but he offers legitimate big-play potential with his size-speed athleticism and catch radius. He has NFL-starting traits with upside as he continues to develop. <o:p></o:p>



Sure looks like he could be a real viable #2 WR for the Bills.

[Canadian'eh!]

Joe B.’s analysis of him (https://theathletic.com/4365720/2023/03/31/nfl-draft-bills-wide-receivers/) meshes with a lot of what you write....




The Athletic also publishes what they call “The Beast (https://theathletic.com/4387692/2023/04/10/nfl-draft-mock-the-beast-dane-brugler/?source=dailyemail&campaign=601983)” draft guide of with hundreds of scouting reports with 1,893 player ranking. Written by Dane Brugler.

Here are the scouting reports for Johnston.....




Sure looks like he could be a real viable #2 WR for the Bills.

The fact that Beane prefers guys that do great in the underwear olympics is not my favourite realization. Summarizes Edmunds to a T. Oliver too really. Size, strength and speed are great to have, but you need to show it in the field.

[TigerJ]

Similar size to Gabe Davis, but better measurables when it comes to speed and athleticism. He's not been as consistent or as productive as you'd like given his physical traits. There is at least a slight chance he slips down the boards because of that, but DraftBoy is probably right. The odds are the Bills would have to trade up to nab him. Then you're hoping the Bills can coach up some of his shortcomings.