In a league where rookie wide receivers are routinely taking the world by storm right out of the gate, it's hard to imagine a worse season out of a first-round pick than Quentin Johnston‘s maiden voyage with the Los Angeles Chargers.
On initial inspection, the numbers aren't good but aren't a disaster either, as 431 yards in 17 games with ten starts is okay production out of a WR2/3, but when you consider he caught less than 50 percent of his passes, only picked up nine yards as a rusher, and just looked lost a times, especially after Mike Williams went down with a Week 3 torn ACL, it's hard to find too many redeeming qualities in his debut season.
Should the Chargers have drafted Puka Nacua instead?
… yeah, no need to open that can of worms.
Entering his second professional season with a new head coach, a new general manager, and a new offensive coordinator, Johnston suddenly finds himself the elder statesman of the Chargers' wide receivers room, with Ladd McConkey, Branden Rice, and Cornelius Johnson all added in the draft while Williams and Keenan Allen were handed their walking papers out of the door, but will that really matter? Even if he was just drafted last season, pretty much everyone who banged the table for him is gone, too, leaving his status as a first-round pick much less important when considering roster construction decisions.
If Johnston can't make some serious plays for the Chargers this season, albeit in a Jim Harbaugh offense that was very run-focused at Michigan, it's worth wondering how many more chances he will get to shine, especially considering the newfound talent around him.
In the NFL, life can come at underperforming wide receivers fast; N'Keal Harry only lasted three years in New England, Jalen Reagor only lasted two seasons with the Eagles, and Kadarius Toney was traded halfway through his second season with the Giants, which technically earned him two Super Bowl Championships but has all but ended his chances of becoming a WR1 in the NFL. Will Johnston join that unfortunate list? Only time will tell, but considering he has a fan in the front office, it's safe to say he will have every chance with the Chargers to succeed before he's handed his walking papers.
Chargers GM Joe Hortiz still believes in Quentin Johnston
While the jury may still be out on Johnston's ceiling as a pro, let alone whether or not he's even worthy of keeping around as part of the Harbaugh era, one person who still believes in the TCU product is Joe Hortiz, who, fortunately for the Horned Frog, is the Chargers' GM.
Sitting down for an interview with Kay Adams after the 2024 NFL draft, Hortiz let it be known that he has been a fan of Johnston since he was working int he Ravens' front office, as he has an athletic profile that is very rare in the NFL.
“Quentin was a player we liked in Baltimore as well last year; a player that I liked,” Hortiz told Kay Adams via NFL.com. “When you look at him, when he was coming out of college, he was an elite size/speed athlete. And you saw some rawness to his game, but you also saw the ability, for as big as he is, (6-foot-3), I think, and 220 pounds, you watch him drop his weight, getting in and out of breaks, come to balance at the top of the route, get out quickly. He can do some rare things for a player his size. (Coach) Jim (Harbaugh) was on the other sideline in one of his better games (in college), and so we've all seen it. We believe in it. He's a great kid, he's a great worker. Everyone here has a high opinion of him. I believe he's really going to launch. I really do. His skill set is great. We're gonna work with him, make him better and better.”
Asked if he believes Johnston can still become a WR1 for the Chargers heading into the future, Hortiz noted that he can't control how far a player is willing to push themselves in the pursuit of greatness, only noting that he believes LA will put him in the best position to succeed heading into the future.
“It's up to Quentin what he becomes. We're going to push him and work with him and develop him,” Hortiz explained. “I'm not going to anoint Quentin as anything. Quentin is going to develop and show what he is to the league and everyone out there, but I believe his work ethic and his talent, he's got a high ceiling, for sure.”
Will Johnston be able to overcome a brutal rookie season to become a true difference-maker in Harbaugh's offense, making plays inside and out of structure to supplement a strong rushing attack with dynamic X-plays? Only time will tell, but considering how poorly his rookie season shook out, it's safe to say he has nowhether to go but up.. except maybe out of the league entirely.
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