Player development is not linear. It is important to remember this. Not every player is going to burst out of the blocks as a rookie and become a superstar. Similarly, not every slow starter in the NFL is destined for a career of frustrated hopes and dreams. The 2014 rookie wide receiver class spoiled it for everyone, with the playmakers that emerged from that group painting sky-high expectations for every WR to become a star from day one. People need to have a bit of patience.
That being said, it would be fair to say that Quentin Johnston didn’t do an awful lot to justify the faith the Chargers placed in him when they took him in the first round last year. And it’s also fair to say that his hopes of becoming a star, based on players with similar first-year profiles, are not high. But we need to look at just how he performed as a rookie, and just who those comparable players are. So, let’s find out in the latest of the RotoViz Rookie Comparisons.
By The Numbers
We should remember that Johnston was far from a perfect prospect coming into the NFL. But he did have some very favorable comps . . . as well as some not-so-favorable.
But these comps are one thing. How did he actually perform as a rookie?
Johnston caught 38 of his 67 targets for 431 yards and two touchdowns in 2023. His counting stats (as above) don’t look great, I know. But his advanced stats are even worse, based on the 72 WRs with at least 60 targets last season.
| CATEGORY | TOTAL | RANK |
|---|---|---|
| Targets | 66 | 64 |
| Routes per Game | 26.8 | 57 |
| Targets per Game | 3.9 | 69 |
| Routes per Target | 6.9 | 67 |
| Yards per Route | 0.9 | 70 |
| Converted Air Yards per Game | 17 | 65 |
| Routes per Touchdown | 228 | 60 |
| Targets per Touchdown | 33 | 56 |
Not great, right?
Johnston had six games in which he saw at least five targets. He had just two games with five receptions, with a 5/50 line in Week 8 and 5/52 in Week 13. These made up two of his three games with 50-plus receiving yards. The third came in Week 14 when he posted 91 yards on just three receptions against the Broncos.
Stepping Up
Probably, the Chargers didn’t expect Johnston to step into a full-time role immediately, especially with Mike Williams and Keenan Allen on the roster. Indeed, it is noticeable that Johnston’s production with Williams healthy was almost laughably low.
Late in the season though, with more miles on his legs, Johnston was the last man standing and primed for a bigger role when Allen went down with four games left. This bigger role did not emerge.
Johnston trailed only Allen and Austin Ekeler in targets in 2023. But the simple truth of the matter is that Johnston and Justin Herbert had about as much chemistry as Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman in Star Wars, Episode II: Attack of the Clones.
So we can see that Johnston didn’t do much in “real” football. But was he at least able to flash something in fantasy?
