Tag: Quentin Johnston Chargers

Chargers WR Quentin Johnston reflects on rookie season, eyes breakout sophomore campaign

Quentin Johnston is ready to put his rookie season behind him and put together a solid sophomore campaign.

Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston is coming off his rookie season. A season in which he finished with 38 catches for 417 yards and two touchdowns.

Johnston recently spoke with Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez to talk about the opportunity where he and two other first-year players are inviting cruisers to score an unforgettable vacation getaway as well as his rookie campaign and what to expect in Year 2.

CW: Can you tell us about your partnership with Pepsi Zero Sugar and Carnival Cruise Line?

QJ: I’m excited to be partnering with Pepsi Zero Sugar and Carnival Cruise to kick off my rookie season. We are giving first-time cruisers a chance to set sail.

CW: How do fans enter for a chance to win the “Board a Rookie. Return a Pro.” Sweepstakes?

QJ: They can win the sweepstakes by visiting pepsirookiecruise.com.

CW: You’re now removed from your rookie season. Reflect on your first year in the pros.

QJ: Yeah, you know, everybody’s first season is kind of unexpected in a way just because this is the longest season. I thought my last college season was long just because we went to the playoffs and everything. But by the time that was over, we were still having NFL games, so a great learning experience with some great guys. Being on the field and then in the actual meeting room with Keenan. Guys like Mike. You know, day in and day out. It helped me elevate my game and just my mental knowledge of the game of football altogether.

CW: It seemed like you faced a lot of pressure, like most first-round picks do. But I believe expectations regarding rookies need to be tempered. What do you tell people that are that way? What are you looking to improve and what do you feel like you had a lot of success in your rookie season?

QJ: Just tell them once you’re drafted, you’re drafted. It doesn’t really matter where you get drafted you’re on the team and just be patient. I feel like a lot of rookies have different experiences and from my experience, it’s still football. But from college to the NFL, that’s a few levels up. Stuff like that takes time to get used to. I feel like, at this point, I have a full season under my belt. Starting to train with real professional guys day in and day out. Next season I feel like it will be more of my breakout season, and I’m very excited about it.

CW: Who would you say that you were the closest with and what was the best advice given?

QJ: Keenan Allen, for sure. On the field, you know he’s a great route runner. So just watching him come in and out of his breaks, especially starting camp. Just watching him and he’s doing it at a high level. He’d put me to the side and just start showing me how to tempo through certain routes and stuff like that. Off the field, stuff like film study, how to develop a routine when you’re away from the field so you can come back and refresh and have everything that you need to put your best foot forward the next day.

CW: How about former Chargers wide receiver coach Chris Beatty? He’s with the Bears now. He was your first positional coach in the NFL. What did you learn from him? What did he teach you? And what can you say about Chris?

QJ: Coach Beatty was a pretty good coach. He was my first NFL coach. That was a great experience with him. He’s been with a lot of teams and has coached a lot of good guys that I looked up to growing up. Guys like Tavon Austin. He would just tell me how those guys developed through the years and how I can develop, where he sees me at different points in the season. Hard coaching to set me up for this season coming up here, so I appreciate him for that.

CW: You’re having one of the most prestigious coaches in Jim Harbaugh coming in. I think people forget that you had a really good game against Michigan in the 2022 Fiesta Bowl, too. 6 catches, 163 yards and a touchdown. What can you say about Jim? What are you looking forward to?

QJ: Very, very excited to have him. He actually shot me a text a few days after he got the job, and then a day or two after that, we got on the phone and had a cool little conversation about everything. We did talk about that Michigan game when we played them. So that was that was a pretty fun conversation. He wasn’t too happy about that. But I’m excited for him coming off this success he’s been having and we’re going to do everything we can to make that translate for him and for us to the next level.

CW: What can fans expect from you in Year 2?

QJ: I have a full year under my belt. I will continue to listen and learn from the other guys in the wide receiver room. Continue to master my craft. So I can guarantee this will be my breakout season and I’m just going to have fun while I’m doing it.

Highlight: Chargers WR Quentin Johnston scores first career touchdown vs. Lions

Quentin Johnston’s first touchdown was a clutch one.

The Chargers tied the game against the Lions at 31 apiece with a passing touchdown to rookie Quentin Johnston.

It marked Johnston’s first career touchdown.

It was a 16-play, 75-yard drive, with eight plays inside Detroit’s 10-yard line.

WR Quentin Johnston emerges on offense in Chargers’ win over Bears

It was only a matter of time until Quentin Johnston got involved.

Much of the chatter surrounding the Chargers had been about the lack of involvement of rookie Quentin Johnston.

Johnston, the first-round pick out of TCU, had only seven catches for 64 yards through six games. However, he silenced those who were puzzled on Sunday by turning in his best game of the season in the win over the Bears, catching five passes for 50 yards.

Johnston seized his opportunities, which came after Joshua Palmer aggravated the knee injury he sustained in the loss to the Chiefs in Week 7.

Johnston played a large part in the two-minute drill right before halftime, hauling in passes for 11 and 12 yards, respectively. On the second play, he showed off the yards-after-the-catch juice he was lauded for.

On the same drive, Johnston was targeted in the red zone, but Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson had good coverage on the football. Shortly after, he turned a short pass into a six-yard gain on 3rd-and-3 to move the chains.

Johnston wasn’t targeted again until the fourth quarter, as he and Justin Herbert connected on a back-shoulder catch that went for 18 yards on 3rd-and-15.

“We wanted to get him going. I felt like we had a lot of good plays in the plan for him,” Brandon Staley said about Johnston. “He made plays tonight, a lot of different types of plays. That third-down conversion on the back shoulder was huge. Got a couple of shallow crosses.

“The more he plays, the more he improves. I’ve told you guys that all season with him. I think you’re seeing that. The more that he figures out how to play, you’re going to see the production because he is certainly capable,” Staley added. “I’m proud of how hard he’s worked. You can see that he’s earning the trust of the quarterback more and more. He just needs to stay on track.”

It was encouraging to see Johnston get going. While the stats may not have been as eye-popping leading up to this game, Johnston had been flashing in previous weeks by getting open. It was just a matter of the connection between him and Herbert to develop, which is why this could be a positive sign going forward.

“I knew that it hadn’t gone our way, connecting with him, the first couple of games, but I knew if we were patient, we were going to get him the ball and something good is going to happen,” Herbert said. “He stepped up big-time today and we’re expecting big things from him.”

Does the LA Chargers offense have room for Quentin Johnston?

LA’s offense is rich with talent, but there’s only one football. Will Johnston matter as a rookie?

With a positional depth chart that includes a five-time Pro Bowl selection (Keenan Allen), a former top-10 pick with two 1,000-yard campaigns under his belt (Mike Williams), and a third-year pro coming off a 72-769-3 effort in 2022 (Joshua Palmer), wide receiver didn’t look like a pressing need for the Los Angeles Chargers entering the 2023 NFL Draft. General manager Tom Telesco disagreed.

Telesco decided to use his first-round pick, 22nd overall, on TCU wideout Quentin Johnston, who caught 60 passes for 1,069 yards and six touchdowns as a junior last year. While the pick initially might have raised some eyebrows, especially given LA’s glaring issues running the ball and stopping the run, a closer look shows a potentially strong fit.

Let’s start with the holdovers. Long considered one of the NFL’s best route runners, Allen turned 31 in April and is coming of an injury-plagued 2022 that saw him miss seven games. The veteran is also more chain mover than downfield threat, having not eclipsed 12.0 yards per catch since 2018.

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Williams is great on contested balls, but he has dealt with injuries as well, and despite his size he’s topped five TD grabs in a season only once in the past four years. While Palmer took a step in Year 2, he’s yet to prove he’s more than a possession option.

Despite all three being talented contributors, there’s one thing they’re all missing: speed. That lack of big-play ability is borne out in Justin Herbert‘s numbers as the strong-armed quarterback averaged a career-low 6.8 yards per attempt — only Tom Brady (733) attempted more passes than Herbert (699), who finished second to Patrick Mahomes (5,250) in passing yardage (4,739) despite heavily featuring short and intermediate routes.

Los Angeles hopes the selection of Johnston will go a long way toward fixing that issue. The rookie has an exciting mix of size (6-foot-3, 208 pounds), speed, and acceleration, and he’ll be given every chance to claim the starting job opposite Williams on the outside with Allen manning the slot. In that scenario, Palmer would slide into the No. 4 receiver role.

There’s also sure to be changes as Kellen Moore takes over as offensive coordinator from Joe Lombardi. During his four years as the Dallas Cowboys’ OC, Moore’s offenses ranked in the top six in scoring three times, and in terms of pushing the ball downfield, Dak Prescott averaged 8.2, 8.4, 7.5, and 7.3 yards per attempt, respectively, under Moore.

Fantasy football outlook

Things could go a few ways for Johnston in 2023. If he comes in, picks up Moore’s playbook, and earns a starting job, he could become Herbert’s de facto deep threat. In that role, Johnston could have real value given Herbert’s willingness (and ability) to air it out.

If the rookie struggles, LA could roll with Allen, Williams, and Palmer, pushing Johnston into reserve duty. Even if that ends up being the case, he’s one injury away from a featured role in a prominent passing design.

Consider Johnston a borderline top-50 fantasy receiver who would make an intriguing late-round target.

WR Quentin Johnston makes first appearance in full Chargers uniform

Check out the Los Angeles Chargers’ first-round pick in full uniform.

Last Saturday, May 20, the NFLPA held its Rookie Premiere in Los Angeles, CA. The event provided football fans with their first look at some of the 2023 NFL draft’s popular prospects in the uniforms of their new teams.

For the Chargers, their first-round pick wide receiver Quentin Johnston represented the team at the event.

Check him out below, donning the infamous powder blue jersey with his number 1 and the gold pants.

A big-bodied wideout, Johnston should provide a spark to Los Angeles’ offense early in the 2023 season as he is a deep threat with the speed to stretch the field and can outpace defenders in the open field with great explosiveness, wiggle and strength.

Johnston needs to refine his route running and clean up some drop issues, but having the mentorship of Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Josh Palmer should aid that.

Which NFL player does Chargers WR Quentin Johnston compare to?

Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar revealed his top 50 prospects and gave NFL comparisons for each player.

Comparing draft prospects to former and current NFL players is an annual tradition during the pre-draft process.

It doesn’t mean they’ll have the same kind of success at this level. Yet, the comparisons are made based on how similar the way the prospects play the game, their physical measurements, production, role, and traits.

Ahead of the 2023 NFL draft, Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire revealed his top prospects at each position and gave NFL comparisons for each player.

For Chargers first-round pick Quentin Johnston, Farrar sees some parallels to Bengals’ Tee Higgins.

Selected with the first pick in the second round of the 2020 draft (the same draft that gave the Bengals Joe Burrow with the first overall pick), Higgins came into the league as a big (6-foot-4, 219 pound) receiver with all the traits, but gaps in consistency. Higgins has been incredibly productive in the NFL, especially over the last two seasons, and like Higgins, Johnston could be the same in any offense where he’s not the alpha dog, with the point of defensive focus on him every week. He could be part of a hellacious one-two punch, as Higgins is with Ja’Marr Chase, pretty quickly.

Farrar mentions the two being similar in traits, as they boast rare size for the position, but they had gaps in consistency, particularly with the nuances of route running. I believe Higgins had better hands and catch radius than Johnston coming out of college.

If I had to compare Johnston to an NFL player, it would be Kevin White coming out of West Virginia, not who he was in the pros. Johnston has the same type of rare speed and size as White, but both raw as route runners and dealt with lapses with their hands.

Chargers WR Quentin Johnston expresses excitement to play with Justin Herbert

Quentin Johnston’s excitement to work with Justin Herbert was palpable in his first remarks as a member of the Chargers.

The Chargers drafted wide receiver Quentin Johnston with the No. 21 overall selection in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft on Thursday night. After hearing his name called, he spoke to reporters about his trajectory in an offense spearheaded by quarterback Justin Herbert.

Asked about what it might be like to play with Herbert, Johnston’s excitement to work with the veteran signal-caller was palpable.

“[He is a] great quarterback,” Johnston said. “I saw the call pop up and I’m like, ‘OK, that’s a great quarterback to be playing under.’ I shouldn’t have any problem coming in early and adjusting, soaking up as much stuff as I can from him as far as just football in general.

I feel like I need to come in, as a young guy, as a sponge, taking in as much information as I need to. Then, eventually, clicking with the quarterback and gaining that trust from him.”

Los Angeles needed an explosive element, which is something that Johnston brings. He has the deep speed that makes him a threat down the field and he is prone to take short passes to the house, with his acceleration, wiggle and play strength.

If he is as eager to share the field with Herbert as he let on in his first remarks as a Charger, the pair should become fast friends on the gridiron as Los Angeles looks to put together a bounce-back campaign next season.

Watch Quentin Johnston’s reaction to being drafted by Chargers

See Quentin Johnston’s reaction to the Los Angeles Chargers taking him in the 2023 NFL draft.

Wide receiver Quentin Johnston was selected No. 21 overall by the Chargers in the 2023 NFL draft.

As NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell read the pick, Johnston, who was accompanied by family and friends, was in joyous tears.

Los Angeles’ social media account shared the video of Johnston soaking it all in.

Check it out:

2023 NFL draft: Watch highlights of new Chargers WR Quentin Johnston

Quentin Johnston was a key part of TCU’s offense in 2022 and should be a boon for the Chargers’ passing game.

Quentin Johnston was among college football’s best receivers in 2022, and the Chargers wasted no time in entering their draft card to select him with the No. 21 overall selection on Thursday night.

A big-bodied wideout from TCU, Johnston should provide a spark to Los Angeles’ offense early in the 2023 season as he is a deep threat with the speed to stretch the field and the ability to outpace defenders in the open field with great explosiveness, wiggle and strength.

His exceptional highlight reel made him a fan favorite in Ft. Worth and should translate well to the NFL game. Check out some of his top plays below, and get acquainted with the Bolts’ newest receiving threat:

Instant analysis of the Chargers’ pick of WR Quentin Johnston at No. 21 overall

What the selection of Quentin Johnston means for the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Chargers have finally done what we’ve all asked them to do all offseason: add playmaking to the wide receiver room.

While Quentin Johnston only runs a 4.52 40 yard dash, putting him in the range of every other wide receiver on the team, he adds juice after the catch that the rest of the Chargers roster simply does not have. His explosion grades are elite, with higher than 95th percentile marks in both the vertical and broad jumps.

If there’s a player on the Chargers roster to compare Johnston to, it’s likely Mike Williams. That’s an important distinction to make, as one of Williams or Keenan Allen is bound to be off the roster by the start of the 2024 season. Johnston’s selection makes Williams’ departure much more likely, an outcome that was already likelier than Allen’s given the latter’s chemistry with Justin Herbert.

There are some fair concerns when it comes to Johnston, however. While he stands 6’2 ¾”, he jumps to make nearly every catch, a reflection of his rather poor hands. Drops have also been an issue in his career at TCU, but the Chargers will hope that those problems were due more to shoddy accuracy from QB Max Duggan than problems with Johnston.

Down the field, Johnston is a viable option in the same way Williams is: while he’s not a true burner, he can create downfield push with his route-running tempo and big frame that always threatens a contested catch. Johnston does extend outside of his frame to make catches in these situations with some regularity.

With his combination of high-point ability and shake after the catch, Johnston is a three-level playmaker, one of the traits the Chargers have publicly emphasized repeatedly when speaking about the position. His first season requires less impact, which gives him more time to iron out his flaws before blossoming as an electric playmaker in Year 2 and beyond.

Bottom line: this is the player L.A. has been looking for all offseason.