Patriots Eyeing TCU WR Quentin Johnston After Pro Day Belichick Meeting?
FOXBORO – With the start of the 2023 NFL Draft less than one month away, the New England Patriots appear to be in the market for a marquee wide receiver.
Despite the additions of wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster and tight end Mike Gesicki, the Pats would benefit from the services of a game-breaking pass catcher to make life a bit easier for expected starting quarterback Mac Jones.
With the free agent receiver market rapidly evaporating, the Patriots seem poised to utilize the draft to fill one of their notable areas of need.
One name which has surfaced as a possible fit in New England is that of TCU wideout Quentin Johnston.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and director of player personnel Matt Groh were among those in attendance at TCU’s Pro Day on Thursday. The pair of Pats execs were spotted talking with the projected first-rounder. Johnston had previously met with Patriots representatives in early March at the NFL Scouting Combine.
In a 2023 Draft class, which is being touted as top-heavy in first-round caliber talent, Johnston may be its most dynamic athlete. Listed at 6-3 and 212 pounds, the 21-year-old possesses not only the size, but also the speed to become a game changer at the pro-level. Johnston is fresh off his best season, in which he posted career highs with 60 catches for 1,069 yards and six touchdowns.
As a favorite target of Horned Frogs quarterback Max Duggan, Johnston was the catalyst for a TCU offense which factored heavily in leading TCU to its first national championship appearance since their 2010 loss to Boise State in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Prior to that, the program had failed to earn a major bowl berth since the 1959 Cotton Bowl.
At his best, Johnston is nearly impossible to contain when playing against zone defenses. Still, he has the ability to make an impact in man schemes, as well. While his height and strength is expected to give him a leg up on the competition in the red zone, his speed will also allow him the chance to make plays in the open field. During his Thursday Pro Day workout, he logged 40-yard times of 4.51 and 4.45 respectively.
Pairing Johnston’s speed and athleticism with that of second-year speedster Tyquan Thornton would be fun to conceptualize in New England’s offense. However, he would need to adjust his game in order to properly assimilate into the Pats’ system. During his time at TCU, Johnston often struggled with running routes and separating underneath. Though newly installed offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien prefers a bit more efficiency in securing yards-after-the-catch, his explosive style of play may be exactly what New England needs to inject life into what was a listless offense in 2022.
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