The Denver Broncos didn't really need another offensive weapon in the division to have to worry about, but the rest of the AFC West teams all made significant additions to the skill positions this offseason. The Las Vegas Raiders went and added wide receiver Jakobi Meyers and tight end Michael Mayer. The Kansas City Chiefs drafted wide receiver Rashee Rice. The Los Angeles Chargers used their first-round pick on TCU wide receiver Quentin Johnston, a move which -- at the time of the NFL Draft -- seemed like a curious one.
Another big-bodied receiver for the Chargers?
I wasn't really buying it in April/May, but now that you see Johnston out there on the field catching Justin Herbert's moon shots, you can't help but wonder if Broncos fans should be just a little more worried about this guy...
Quentin Johnston TOASTED the Chargers starting defense for a TD 😳
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) August 4, 2023
Johnston reportedly appears to be a “massive” part of the Chargers offensive scheme.
Johnston’s size has reportedly given the Chargers’ DB’s “several issues” so far at camp.
Kellen Moore (Chargers OC) said that… pic.twitter.com/lxOi5wDpHk
quentH1M pic.twitter.com/X1K6M2gsYj
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) August 5, 2023
I guess this is part of the reason why the Broncos have invested pretty heavily in the cornerback position the last handful of years. Denver has one really great equalizer in Pat Surtain II and another potential stud in second-year player Damarri Mathis. They drafted Riley Moss in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft as well, but he may not even be available until some point in the first few weeks of the regular season after suffering a "core" injury.
Having another 6-foot-4 receiver to deal with when playing the Chargers is just not ideal in the slightest. The Chargers have Mike Williams and Keenan Allen who will give you problems as it is, and they also have one of the best pass-catching backs in the league in Austin Ekeler. Adding Quentin Johnston to the mix seemed like overkill when he was drafted, especially given his flaws as a prospect, but if the Chargers are able to maximize his strengths early?
Well, that's simply not exciting news for the Denver Broncos.
And it seems like the Broncos are aware of the difficulty they are facing in their own division as they rushed to sign veteran Fabian Moreau as soon as it was known that Moss was going to miss a decent chunk of time.
The Broncos will need all hands on deck in the secondary this year. Every team in the AFC West has made some substantial move to upgrade their skill position, but the pick the Chargers made with Quentin Johnston could prove to be especially difficult to deal with if he's able to win in contested catch situations and in the YAC department as a rookie.