WR, TCU
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 215 lbs
Class: Junior
Johnston was a standout athlete in high school who excelled in three sports. He was a dominant basketball player, whilst also being a state medalist in track and field. Football was his primary passion though, and he was rated as a four-star receiver in the 2020 class. He earned 11 offers, committing to his home state Horned Frogs over offers from Texas, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma.
Johnston played a rotational role in 2020, setting a true freshman Big 12 record for yards per catch with 22.1. This was followed by a breakout sophomore year where he led the team in receiving yards and touchdowns whilst earning First Team All-Big 12 honours. He managed to repeat that feat in his final college season in 2022.
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Strengths
At 6’4″ and 215 lbs, Johnston offers impressive size and should have no issues winning consistently on the boundary at the NFL level. This, combined with some impressive body control, allows him to make some truly impressive catches. His background in basketball is apparent any time he is in a jump ball situation, with a large catch radius and tremendous vertical ability to tower over his opponents and get to the football. His strength to hold on through contact is also impressive. This helped him produce to a high level as a downfield receiver.
Whilst Johnston’s size is impressive, what separates him from most other big-bodied receivers is his athletic ability. His ability to quickly get off the line and challenge defenses vertically pops off the tape, and he has the long speed to stack his man and beat defenses over the top. TCU utilises Johnston heavily on the vertical tree, and he also showed the ability to throttle down quickly on hitches and comebacks, creating separation at the top of his routes. That’s a big reason he averaged an impressive 18.8 yards per catch throughout his career.
Johnston is also one of the more dynamic receivers you will come across after the catch. This is where his combination of size and athleticism really comes into its own. Johnston does an excellent job of quickly turning upfield once he has completed the catch and once he’s got going he is difficult to stop. He has enough wiggle to make defenders miss in the open field, whilst also possessing the strength to break through arm tackles. Johnston managed to break an astonishing 45 on 115 career receptions. These numbers would be impressive for a running back, let alone a wide receiver.
Johnston also shows plenty of promise when it comes to his release package. His explosiveness makes him a handful against off coverage and he is quick to eat up any cushion the defense gives him. He also looked comfortable against press coverage. Johnston showcases the quick footwork and hand usage to fight off more physical corners and get into his routes. He also clearly understands how to manipulate defenders to create favourable release opportunities. This saw him generate plenty of early separation, which he could then exploit with his athleticism.
Weaknesses
As things stand, the biggest weakness to Johnston’s game is his lack of nuance as a route runner. This is partly a result of TCU’s Air Raid scheme, which generally asks him to run a limited number of simple routes. There were certainly times where Johnston flashed the ability to influence defenders with subtle movements downfield, but it isn’t something we saw on a consistent basis. Showing he can do it reliably will be key to his NFL success.
There will also be some concerns about Johnston’s hands. Whilst his 10.2% career drop rate is about average, it doesn’t tell the full story. He has a frustrating tendency to body catch, instead of playing with active hands at the catch point. This often limited opportunities for creating after the catch, as well as his ability to win in contested situations, where he had a 40.7% win rate throughout his career.
Bottom Line
Johnston has the size and athletic ability teams covet at the wide receiver position. Whilst he lacks technical refinement and needs to work on his hands, he flashes the traits required to be a true alpha receiver at the NFL level.
Ideal role: Scheme versatile X receiver
Round projection: 1st round
