4 Chargers offseason decisions in 2023 that already look like a disaster

3. Drafting Quentin Johnston over Zay Flowers

It was pretty clear heading into the 2023 NFL Draft that the Chargers were going to take a pass-catcher in the first round. Whether it be a wide receiver or one of the several promising tight ends, the Chargers were not leaving day one of the draft without a weapon on offense.

Even with those expectations, selecting TCU's Quentin Johnston with the 21st overall pick was still a bit of a surprise. Johnston was viewed as the biggest boom-or-bust first-round prospect in the draft class and the Chargers opted to take that risk.

We here at Bolt Beat were highest on Zay Flowers (and have the receipts to prove it). Of course, in classic fandom fashion, Chargers fans convinced themselves that Johnston was the better player because he was the one actually taken by the team. Now, two weeks into the NFL season, those fans are scratching their heads.

Johnston has not done much of anything in his first two NFL games while Flowers is instantly proving to be an impact contributor. This does not mean that Johnston is destined to be a bust but Flowers already has all the makings of being the best receiver from this draft class.

To be fair, this was always the plan with Johnston. He was always viewed as a long-term commitment that would be the WR4 in his rookie year. Flowers probably would have been as well. But from a pure talent perspective, it still seems like the Chargers missed out on the best player at the wide receiver position.