ESPN’s Todd McShay has the New England Patriots knocking it out of the park by grabbing a legitimate home-run threat wide receiver in his latest 2023 NFL mock draft.
That top receiving weapon that could finally help the Patriots make opposing defenses cry uncle is none other than TCU wideout Quentin Johnston.
The Patriots have typically failed to land a legitimate outside threat to keep defenses honest in the past. Any such option over the years are generally fleeting, like with Randy Moss and Brandin Cooks, or the team misses badly, like with N’Keal Harry and Aaron Dobson.
McShay wrote:
At 6-3 and 208 pounds, Johnston can stretch the field and win with physicality at the catch point. He totaled 1,069 yards last season and looked explosive in Indy last week with a 40.5-inch vertical and 11-foot-2 broad jump. I’m curious if he’ll run a 40 at his pro day on March 30 — a good time there could help his stock.
The Patriots could lose their top receiving target, Jakobi Meyers, in free agency, and that would leave more questions than answers for the team.
DeVante Parker is really good, but health has been a lingering issue. Kendrick Bourne regressed beyond belief last season. Most of that was probably due to the play-calling with Matt Patricia and Bourne rarely getting on the field. But how big of a bounce-back season will he have? Meanwhile, Tyquan Thornton didn’t exactly blow anyone away in his rookie season. Can he break out in Year 2?
Adding a player like Johnston to that unit could potentially be a game-changer, but it could come at the expense of missing out on a top offensive tackle or cornerback.
Is it worth it?
