Open Nav
Show Navigation
Show Menu
Player Profile

Quentin Johnston Injury History & Updates

Basic StatsQuentin Johnston's Basic Stats

Quentin Johnston
ADP: N/A
Bye: 5
Experience: 1
Age: 23.1
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 215
40 Time: 4.57

Burst Score (Rank): 135.90 (97%)
Agility Score (Rank): 11.59 (15%)
Catch Radius (Rank): 10.25 (89%)

Injury PredictorQuentin Johnston's Injury Guide

Low Risk

Chance of Injury in 2024

37.6%

% chance misses at least 2 quarters

Chance of Injury per Game

2.7%

1- 17√1-% Inj/Season

Projected Games Missed 2024

0.70

Durability

5.00

Ability to produce despire relatively minor injuries. 5 being most durable

Injury analysis powered by Draft Sharks Injury Guide, formerly SIP Logo

Injury History

Date League Injury Details
Oct 29, 2022 Non-NFL Pedal Ankle Sprain/Pull Unspecified Grade 1 Johnston played through his injury initially but re-injured the ankle the next week vs. Texas Tech.
Nov 5, 2022 Non-NFL Pedal Ankle Sprain/Pull Unspecified Grade 1 Johnston departed after playing only two snaps.
Nov 19, 2022 Non-NFL Pedal Ankle Sprain/Pull Unspecified Grade 1 Johnston missed one game following another ankle aggravation. He returned for the Big 12 Championship.
Oct 2, 2021 Non-NFL Knee Strain Grade 1 Johnston missed three games with a hyperextended knee.

Basic StatsQuentin Johnston's Preseason Player Analysis

View WR Fantasy Rankings »

Bottom Line

Johnston is coming off an ugly rookie season and should not be considered a strong bet to bounce back this year.

He at least gets a new coaching staff that might deploy him more optimally. And there are tons of targets up for grabs after the departures of WR Keenan Allen, WR Mike Williams, and RB Austin Ekeler.

Johnston is not a priority target, but the 2023 first-round pick might be worth a flier near the end of fantasy drafts.

What We Learned Last Year

  • Johnston mustered just 38 catches for 431 yards and two TDs as a rookie last year.
  • He finished 74th among WRs in total PPR points; 100th in PPR points per game.
  • He did that despite:
    • Playing all 17 games
    • Playing 65% of the Chargers’ offensive snaps
    • Running a route on 67% of pass plays
  • Johnston was one of the least efficient WRs in the NFL. Among 80 WRs with 50+ targets, he ranked:
    • 64th in catch rate
    • 58th in yards per catch
    • 71st in yards per target
    • 75th in yards per route
    • 74th in Pro Football Focus receiving grade
  • The Chargers didn’t make life easy on Johnston, especially as a relatively raw rookie.
    • He lined up out wide for 89% of his snaps.
    • He registered a 13.0-yard average target depth, with 23% of his targets coming 20+ yards downfield.
    • He got just seven screen targets.
  • Johnston deserves plenty of blame, too. His ESPN Open Score of 25 ranked 105th among 109 qualifiers. He simply did not create separation.
  • Johnston was best after the catch.
    • He averaged 4.0 yards after the catch per reception, which ranked 42nd among 80 qualifiers.
    • He ranked 43rd among 86 qualifying WRs in NFL Next Gen Stats’ yards after catch over expected per reception.
    • He ranked 38th out of 109 WRs in ESPN’s YAC Score.
  • Johnston was the 21st overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. The 6’3, 208-pounder broke out with a 60-1,069-6 line as a 2022 junior. He averaged 19.0 yards per catch for his college career, including 8.3 yards after the catch. He struggled in contested situations, though, converting just 41% for his career.

What to Expect in 2024

  • The Chargers have a new coaching staff this year led by HC Jim Harbaugh and OC Greg Roman, who both have run-leaning backgrounds.
  • Harbaugh and Roman spent four seasons together in San Francisco from 2011 to 2014. Here’s where those teams ranked in pass attempts and pass rate:
    • 2011 - 31st, 30th
    • 2012 - 31st, 30th
    • 2013 - 32nd, 31st
    • 2014 - 29th, 27th
  • Here’s where the 49ers’ top WR finished in PPR points per game under Harbaugh and Roman:
    • 2011 - 30th (Michael Crabtree)
    • 2012 - 17th (Crabtree)
    • 2013 - 19th (Anquan Boldin)
    • 2014 - 25th (Boldin)
  • We’ll see if the new staff deploys Johnston more optimally than last year.
  • New GM Joe Horitz talked up Johnston in mid-May.
    • "When he was coming out of college, he was an elite size/speed athlete. And you saw some rawness to his game. But as big as he is, 6'3, you watch him drop his weight, getting in and out of breaks, come to balance at the top of the route, get out quickly. He can do some rare things for a player his size. ... He's a great kid, he's a great worker. Everyone here has a high opinion of him. I believe he's really gonna launch. I really do. His skillset is great, we're gonna work with him, make him better and better."
  • The Chargers lost WR Keenan Allen, WR Mike Williams, and RB Austin Ekeler this offseason, leaving a ton of targets up for grabs.
  • Johnston’s primary competition for snaps and targets will come from WRs Ladd McConkey, Josh Palmer, and D.J. Chark.
    • McConkey was the 34th overall pick of this year’s draft. He never led Georgia in catches or receiving yards but fared well in efficiency metrics such as yards per target and yards per route.
    • Palmer has increased his receiving yards per game across each of his first three NFL seasons, topping out at 58.1 last year. But he sports a subpar 1.36 career yards per route and has never ranked better than 62nd among WRs in Pro Football Focus receiving grade.
    • Chark signed with the Chargers in early May on a one-year, $3 million deal with a little over $2 million guaranteed. He's missed 39 games over the last four seasons and averaged 48.6 yards per game. His 1.08 yards per route last year ranked 75th among 93 qualifying WRs.
  • History does not bode well for Johnston’s chances to turn his career around. Here are the 12 first-round rookie WRs to average fewer than 7 PPR points per game from 2013 to 2022 (Johnston averaged 5.5 last year):
    • DeVante Parker
    • Breshad Perriman
    • Nelson Agholor
    • Phillip Dorsett
    • Josh Doctson
    • Laquon Treadwell
    • Corey Davis
    • Mike Williams
    • John Ross
    • N’Keal Harry
    • Henry Ruggs
    • Jameson Williams
  • Only four of those 12 WRs have registered a top-36 PPR season (Williams three times, Davis twice, Agholor twice, Parker once).

Recent Injury Bites View All Shark Bites »

D.J. Chark Jr., WR LAC

7:03pm EDT 9/7/24

D.J. Chark Placed On IR With Hip Injury

The Chargers placed WR D.J. Chark (hip) on IR. He's out for at least the first four games of the season. Chark looked like the favorite to open the season as Los Angeles' starting outside WR opposite Josh Palmer, but WR Quentin Johnston will now get another crack at that job. We're not very optimistic Johnston will take advantage, but he's worth monitoring in tomorrow's opener vs. the Raiders. Chark can be dropped in all redraft leagues.

View all D.J. Chark Jr. Shark Bites »

Chargers QB Justin Herbert (foot) was on the field for Monday's practice. The Athletic's Daniel Popper posted video of Herbert taking a couple of half-speed dropbacks and launching deep balls.

View Full Story »

Chargers QB Justin Herbert has been diagnosed with a plantar fascia injury in his right foot, the team announced. "Doctors have recommended approximately two weeks in a boot — followed by a graduated return to play protocol — with the expectation that he will be ready for the start of the regular season," the team said in a statement.

View Full Story »

Chargers WRs Keenan Allen (heel) and Josh Palmer (concussion) are out for Sunday’s game vs. the Broncos. That leaves Los Angeles with WRs Quentin Johnston, Jalen Guyton, Alex Erickson, and Derius Davis. None is a recommended Week 17 fantasy starter. RB Austin Ekeler and TE Gerald Everett could see more targets with Allen and Palmer out.

View all Keenan Allen Shark Bites »

Chargers WR Keenan Allen (heel) did not practice on Wednesday. We'll keep tabs on his status over the next few days, but fantasy owners should not be banking on Allen playing vs. the Broncos this weekend. WR Josh Palmer (concussion) also missed Wednesday's practice and is in danger of missing Sunday's game. The Chargers could be down to WRs Quentin Johnston, Jalen Guyton, Alex Erickson, and Derius Davis.

View all Keenan Allen Shark Bites »

How do Injuries impact your draft strategy?

For us, it's 1/17th of the equation. Hear us out.

The Draft War Room is the only live-sync draft tool that monitors 17 crucial in-draft indicators, including injury likelihood… and adapts to show you which players to pick throughout your draft.

See how we built the 17 indicators into our Draft War Room »
Compare Plans » Compare Plans »
THE 2024 ROOKIE GUIDE IS HERE! UPDATED POST-DRAFT
Trade Values • Model Scores • Analytics • Sleepers • Busts & More