2023 NFL Draft: Patriots and TCU’s Quentin Johnston a terrific match
If the New England Patriots can’t trade for a No.1 receiver, why not draft one? Sitting currently with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Patriots will be in position to draft a wide receiver talent in the first or second round.
There has been a lot of buzz surrounding Boston College stud Zay Flowers and Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but could TCU’s Quentin Johnston be the draft stud who would make all of New England forget the bust that was N’Keal Harry?
Well, projected as one of the top receivers in the draft, Johnson is a big, athletic, explosive receiver who could grow into that No. 1 receiver role for the Patriots and perhaps the team feels that as well as Belichick attended TCU’s Pro Day to check out Johnston, who talked to the Patriots at the NFL Scouting Combine earlier in March.
Patriots in need of a rare talent like Quentin Johnston
That doesn’t mean much, but at No. 14, it looks like Belichick is getting a first-hand look at all his options at the position. As far as the talk goes, Johnston described it as “exciting.”
"“Oh yeah, it was very fun and exciting,” Johnston told NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry. “I walked in and obviously everybody was happy to see me. But I mean overall, the meeting went smoothly. We had a good conversation. I felt pretty confident going out of that meeting.”"
Confident enough to hear his name called on draft night?
Let’s not pretend we don’t know Belichick’s record when it comes to drafting wide receivers in the first round. First, he usually doesn’t and secondly, Patriots Nation won’t let him live down all the receivers he passed up to select Harry at the end of the first round back in 2018.
But Johnston is a different type of receiver. At 6-foot-4, 193 pounds he is just as big as Harry, but he has an explosiveness Harry didn’t have. He also has extreme athleticism that would be a treat to watch for Patriots fans for years to come.
Coming off a season in which he hauled in 60 receptions for 1,069 yards with six touchdowns, there’s a sense that Johnston hasn’t reached his full potential.
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Just a junior at TCU in 2023 there is a potential of growth physically and obviously on the field where his blocking and overall ball skills could use some improvement. But in all, if the Patriots are going the draft route, Johnston is a prospect who will have a chance of being special in New England.
As an electrifying type of receiver, Johnston’s fit in the New England Patriots offense would be on the outside where he can compete for 50-50 balls due to his size and athleticism.
If drafted, the Patriots would have a decision to make on DeVante Parker and he would appear to be the odd man out with the possible addition of Johnston along with JuJu Smith-Schuster, Kendrick Bourne and 2022 second-round pick Tyquan Thornton.
Next. Why Patriots should go high and select Zay Flowers. dark
In concluding, the Patriots typically don’t draft a wide receiver that high in the Belichick Era, but perhaps TCU’s Quentin Johnston is too rare a talent to pass up.