School: TCU

Position: WR

Year: Junior

The Good: Johnston is one of the best recruits that TCU has landed in recent years, and it’s easy to see why. At 6’4”, 215lbs with a 40-yard dash that could clock beneath 4.40, Johnston is the total package of size and speed. He’s plenty physical and will likely be one of the top jumpers at the Combine, though Johnston isn’t another bulky cyborg receiver who can’t turn like DK Metcalf or Denzel Mims. He has impressive feet for his size and has high-quality releases all over on the field on his tape. Johnston could profile as a power slot WR, but he’s at his best lined up outside where he can blow by press coverage and work a tight sideline. Once the ball is in his hands, Johnston is a tackle breaker and YAC machine. He’ll continue to get a steady dose of screen passes in the NFL. 

The Bad: Johnston’s hands are mediocre. There are enough drops on his tape to question his reliability, and even when Johnston does catch the ball it often doesn’t look as smooth as it should. He struggles to catch through contact too; he’s not the contested catch winner that you’d expect given his size. Johnston needs to improve at working towards the ball too, both when the ball is in the air and when plays break down to help out his QB. He too frequently lets the ball fall to him rather than high pointing it. Johnston is a good route runner, particularly on vertical routes, but his double moves will need to become more convincing to reach the next level as a deep threat. Once the ball is in his hands, Johnston can be lackadaisical with it; he had a costly fumble in the Big 12 Championship Game.

The Bottom Line: Even if this WR class is subpar compared to previous years, Johnston is a clear first round talent. His profile is too enticing and his production was plenty good enough to go along with it. His stats make him look like a one-year wonder, but that’s far from the truth. TCU was just that bad offensively until 2022. Despite reaching the National Championship Game this past season, the Horned Frogs still didn’t unleash Johnston to the degree that some other powerhouse programs would have. There is some blame there to assign to Johnston himself; he definitely can stand to be more consistent. If he remains this type of WR in the NFL – 60 receptions for over 1,000 yards with one of the highest yards per catch figures – then he’d be a valuable field-tilting weapon. But if Johnston cleans up the finer elements of his game, improves with field awareness and channels more of his general competitiveness into an alpha mentality, then he could become a legit WR1 in the league.

Grade: Mid First Round

Pro Comp: Demaryius Thomas

Games Watched:

• West Virginia 2021
• Kansas State 2021
• Kansas 2022
• Oklahoma State 2022
• Kansas State 2022
• Michigan 2022

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