2023 NFL Draft: Should the Bears trade back and target WR Quentin Johnston in the 1st round?

The Chicago Bears’ list of needs entering the 2023 NFL Draft will change significantly after the first wave of unrestricted free agency. The NFL’s two-day negotiation window begins March 13, and armed with the most money to spend on the open market, the Bears will address several of their roster’s weaknesses with quality veteran upgrades.

One position that may not offer that kind of upgrade in free agency is wide receiver. Unless the Bears pull off a trade like the Philadelphia Eagles did for A.J. Brown in 2022, it’s unlikely they’ll land a pass-catcher who can transform their offense.

The 2023 NFL Draft doesn’t have a Ja’Marr Chase in its ranks, but TCU’s Quentin Johnston offers a blend of top-tier size, speed, and playmaking ability to firmly be regarded as one of this year’s top offensive prospects.

Johnston, 21, stands an estimated 6’4′ and 216 pounds. NFL scouts project he’ll run a 4.48 40-yard dash at the 2023 NFL Combine, and if he does, he’ll present receiver-needy teams like the Chicago Bears with a potential game-breaker.

Johnston isn’t just tall and fast, either. He has exceptional length, making his catch radius a huge plus. He has surprising twitch and wiggle for a guy with his physical makeup, too. He flashes a nearly unstoppable spin move after the catch, leaving defenders grasping at air. His open-field speed is incredible. He’s a long strider, but he quickly gets to top speed.

6’4′ TCU WR Quentin Johnston out here shaking the pants off every single DB in the Big 12

Insane post-catch quickness for a man this size pic.twitter.com/RP4AQW3UNo

— JetPack Galileo (@JetPackGalileo) January 23, 2023

Quentin Johnston is a twitchy route-runner, but he needs improvement off the line of scrimmage against press. When he has a free release or works against zone coverage, he’s an automatic mismatch.

One area of Johnston’s game that concerns me is his hands. He isn’t an unreliable player, but he tends to be a body-catcher. The ball gets to his pads way too often and neutralizes one of his best traits — his length. If he doesn’t pluck the ball away from his frame more consistently in the NFL, pro defensive backs will get an extra tick or two to break up passes thrown his way.

Johnston ended the 2022 season with 60 catches for 1,069 yards and six touchdowns. He finished his career at TCU 115 catches for 2,190 yards and 14 scores and averaged a remarkable 19 yards per catch over the last three years.

The Chicago Bears don’t have a wide receiver on the roster with Quentin Johnston’s upside. They have a big and fast player in Chase Claypool, but Johnston is more twitchy and a better athlete after the catch. The problem facing general manager Ryan Poles is the Bears’ draft position. Johnston isn’t worth the first overall pick, nor will he have a grade high enough to justify a top-five selection. For Chicago to pull the trigger on the TCU standout, they’ll need to trade down multiple times. Johnston has a chance to be a top-10 pick if he runs well at the NFL Combine, if the Bears drop to No. 9? He could be their guy.

Johnston may end up with a lower pre-2023 NFL draft ranking than other wide receivers like USC’s Jordan Addison and Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but there’s a good chance he’ll be selected ahead of both of them. Players with his size-speed combo and playmaking ability don’t come along every year, and while his game does need some refinement, his ceiling is higher than any other receiver in the 2023 draft.

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