Quentin Johnston draft profile: Will TCU star fall to the Cowboys?

The Dallas Cowboys have the No. 26 overall pick in this year’s draft and the direction the team will go is unclear.They could bolster up the offensive line, grab another defensive playmaker, or even grab an offensive stud.

The possibilities are endless for Dallas, as they don’t have any true holes in their roster after they traded for Brandin Cooks and Stephon Gilmore.

One wide receiver that the Cowboys have hosted for a top 30 visit and could target in the draft is TCU’s Quentin Johnston. If drafted by Dallas, Johnston would have the chance to be a red zone monster for Dak Prescott. He has elite size and typically hauls in everything that’s thrown in his direction.

Let’s break down what Johnston would bring to the Cowboys.

Cowboy’s 2023 Draft: Quentin Johnston’s Strengths

Quentin Johnston could be the perfect compliment to CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks in the Cowboys wide receiver room. Here are two of Johnston’s biggest strengths observed from a breakdown of his film.

1. Size

One thing you can’t teach is size, and Johnston has a lot of it.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and weighing 208 pounds, Johnston has a towering stature that would benefit the Cowboys immediately. He would be an excellent red zone target as he could master the goal line fade with Dak Prescott if they get on the same page and would be a great target on deep throws.

He has the best frame in the draft and his catch radius is great as well. He hauls in jump balls with ease due to his size and hands alone. Many of Johnston’s big plays included an underthrown ball. Once paired with an NFL quarterback he’ll be even more of a problem.

2. Big play ability

Johnston’s big play ability goes hand-and-hand with his size. Johnston hauls in 50-50 balls like they’re nothing and also makes people miss after the catch.

Although he hasn’t shown his ability to high point the ball, which is important, it was mostly due to underthrown balls. If he learns to highpoint the ball consistently and efficiently he has the potential to be an elite receiver.

When it comes to big plays, Johnson excels at making the first person miss. Once he catches the ball he puts a juke on the first defender and gets upfield. Although he doesn’t have elite speed, he still has the ability to take under routes and crossing routes all the way to the endzone. He exhibited good breakaway speed and didn’t get caught from behind often.

He also showed his ability to make freakishly good catches. Johnston has sticky hands and makes spectacular catches that only he can make as he towers over most defensive backs. Whether it’s a back-of-the-endzone toe drag or a Randy-Moss-esque catch on the sideline, Johnston is going to come down with the football.

Final thoughts

Quentin Johnston could be an elite wide receiver for this team and give Prescott a big target on deep throws and big plays. Although Johnston and Gallup have similar skills when it comes to big plays, the Cowboys could still take Johnston if they don’t believe that Gallup has high upside anymore following a disappointing 2022-23 season. Johnston has better size than Gallup and has better skills in the open field.

This may be a head-scratching pick if made by Dallas, but don’t count it out as he would be the biggest receiver that Prescott has ever played with and would be an immediate deep ball threat.

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