Chargers' top pick called out before NFL Draft, could see his job stolen

This Los Angeles Chargers former top pick may lose his job after the NFL Draft.

Jun 13, 2023; Costa Mesa, CA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers helmets during minicamp at the Hoag Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Chargers have some pretty vital decisions to make heading into the NFL Draft, and perhaps none is more important than providing Justin Herbert with more weapons.

Outside of Ladd McConkey, Herbert doesn't really have a single dependable target in the aerial attack, and that's thanks much in part to the massive disappointment that has been Quentin Johnston.

The Chargers selected Johnston in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, but he has fallen flat over his first couple of seasons, and Jason Reed of Bolt Beat feels that the 23-year-old could potentially lose his job depending on what Los Angeles does in the draft this week.

"It seems less likely than other players on this list simply because of how the draft will shake out, but there is a chance the Chargers take a wide receiver in the first two rounds who can usurp Quentin Johnston in the depth chart right away," Reed wrote. "... An early wide receiver would almost certainly kick Johnston out of the regular starting group in 2025. Ladd McConkey would start in the slot with the rookie receiver and Mike Williams on the outside."

Would Williams really be able to supplant Johnston at this stage of his career, though? Reed seems to think so, believing that Williams' "reliable nature" will make him the favorite over Johnston.

Johnston caught 55 passes for 711 yards and eight touchdowns in 2024, and while those aren't bad numbers, consistency was a big issue for the TCU product. So were drops, and he didn't exactly do himself any favors by going catchless on five targets in the Chargers' Wild Card Round playoff loss to the Houston Texans.

This draft class is loaded with talent at the wide receiver position, so it stands to reasons that Los Angeles could find a playmaker that ultimately boots Johnston out of the regular rotation.

Dec 15, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston (1) runs the ball for a touchdown ahead of Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Zyon McCollum (27) during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

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