Welcome to the ninth daily installment of the NFL Draft 1-through-32 series on DK Pittsburgh Sports, intended to introduce you, a prospect at a time, to the top 32 players in the class on a consensus basis, leading right up to the main event.
That, of course, will be April 27-29, in Kansas City, Mo., though all 32 teams, including the Steelers on the South Side, will operate from their local headquarters.
NO. 9: QUENTIN JOHNSTON
TCU wide receiver
Johnston is the No. 9-rated player on Pro Football Focus' Big Board. The buzz word to describe Johnston's makeup is "specimen," and he carries the upside to potentially fill out as a No. 1 receiver in the NFL.
COLLEGE BACKGROUND
A semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award and with a first-team All-Big 12 selection to his name, Johnston built off of a fine 2021 season and rose to become one of the best receivers in the country in 2022.
He became TCU's first 1,000-yard receiver since former first-round pick Jalen Reagor in 2018, as Johnston racked up 60 receptions for 1,069 yards and six touchdowns while playing with Heisman Trophy runner-up quarterback Max Duggan.
He blossomed on the biggest stages which TCU played on its way to a College Football Playoff National Championship Game appearance. In the Big 12 Championship Game against Kansas State, Johnston registered four catches for 139 yards, with catches of 53 and 51 yards included. He was named the offensive MVP of TCU's College Football Playoff Semifinal win over Michigan with six receptions for 163 yards, and he included a 76-yard touchdown. His 163 yards in that CFP Semifinal gave him nine 100-yard games in his 32 career games.
The Temple, Texas, native was a consensus four-star recruit out of high school, and grew into his 6-foot-4, 180-pound frame over his time at TCU. Out of high school, Johnston earned comparisons to former Steelers receiver Martavis Bryant for his athletic frame which allowed him to excel in football and basketball.
NFL COMBINE, PRO DAY
Measuring at 6-foot-3, 208 pounds with a 33 5/8-inch arm length and a 9 5/8-inch hand width, Johnston earned more positive marks for his athleticism at the NFL Combine.
He earned an athleticism score of 89, second among NFL Combine receivers, with a 40.5-inch vertical jump (third for Combine WRs) and a 11-foot-2 broad jump (tied for second). Johnston earned a prospect grade of 6.4, or "will become good starter within two years," and an NFL Next Gen Stats grade of 83. Those tied for fifth and sixth, respectively, among Combine receivers.
Johnston weighed at 212 pounds at his pro day on Thursday, which is four pounds heavier than his Combine weight. He ran the 40-yard dash in a roundabout 4.50 seconds.
MOCK DRAFT
The USA Today mock draft consensus tracker has Johnston going at No. 18 overall to Detroit, with an average draft slotting at 19.83. Our own latest mock draft has Wilson going to New England at No. 14 overall.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
THE STEELERS' STANDPOINT
Johnston, certainly, is an option for the Steelers, if they feel there is enough of a depth concern behind Diontae Johnson and George Pickens to utilize a first-round pick on a receiver. The No. 3 option is still stuck between Calvin Austin III and Gunner Olszewski, for now.
The Steelers have not drafted a wide receiver in the first round since Santonio Holmes in 2006, and the franchise has only taken two receivers in the first round of the draft since 2000 (Plaxico Burress in 2000). This is a position of need, and Johnston could be on the radar along with Ohio State's Jaxon Smith-Njigba. If they want Johnston, it looks like they will have to trade up for him.
COREY'S TAKE
I know 6-foot-3, 212 pounds and a 40-yard dash in the 4.50 range looks OK on paper, but I'm not as sold as most on Johnston. The body of work in 2022 is fine, but he did not post much beyond this last season and he caught only six touchdowns from a Heisman contending quarterback in his best season. I can appreciate the big-play ability from him, but if I'm spending a high pick on a wide receiver, I want somebody that is reliable and can be ushered in as a sure-fire No. 1. I'm not so sold on that when it comes to Johnston. I see more of a home-run hitter receiver in him, and there's nothing wrong with that, but I would prefer Smith-Njigba or maybe Boston College's Zay Flowers over him, given the value.
