The LA Chargers selected Quentin Johnston with the 21st pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and he did not look like a first-round pick in his rookie season. Johnston struggled immensely in 2023 and it got so bad that he actually cost the team a win over the Green Bay Packers.
Johnston will benefit immensely from the changing of guard in Los Angeles this offseason. While Johnston definitely deserves most of the blame for his struggles, former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore did not put him in a position to succeed by miscasting him as a wide receiver.
However, the new regime also means Johnston is no longer playing for the front office that drafted him in the first round. A new front office with no emotional attachment to Johnston might mean that he will not get the same playing time as he would have before.
That is how Daniel Popper of The Athletic sees it going down. In his latest primer before the start of Chargers training camp (subscription required), Popper projected that Joshua Palmer, Ladd McConkey and DJ Chark — not Johnston — would be the three starters at receiver for the Bolts.
"The wide receivers depth chart will start to come into clearer focus during training camp. To start, I think the three receivers in 11 personnel packages will be Joshua Palmer, Ladd McConkey and DJ Chark. Those three have a logical synergy in terms of skills. McConkey was mostly playing in the slot during the spring. Palmer can play inside and outside. Chark fits as a true X, with his size, speed and contested-catch ability."
Quentin Johnston projected to be WR4 on Chargers depth chart
A lot can happen until the start of the 2024 season and this is merely a projection by someone who covers the team. It is worth mentioning, though, that Popper is one of the most plugged-in beat reporters that follows the team.
If there is anyone who understands the roster dynamics of the team heading into training camp it is Popper. That does not mean he is always 100% correct or that it can't change, but his projections are as valuable as they come as it pertains to the Chargers.
And if this is the case it is a real shot to those fans who believe Johnston can have a rebound season in 2024. As bad as Johnston was in his rookie year, he also was not utilized in the proper way. This is something Greg Roman touched on previously, which has many fans thinking the team will actually use him as he should be used — as a short-yardage receiver.
At the very least, it is fair to say Johnston has to earn every single snap he plays in 2024. Nothing Johnston did in his rookie warrants playing time in year two. And if he continues dropping passes like he did during OTAs then he will absolutely cement himself as the WR4.
Chark is a bit redundant being on the field at the same time as Joshua Palmer as they are both X receivers at heart. But Chark can at least take the top off a defense with his straight-line speed, something Johnston does not necessarily have.
It is worth mentioning that while Johnston struggles with drops, Chark isn't necessarily the most sure-handed receiver in the league, either. Chark has dropped nine combined balls the last two years for a drop rate of 6.1% in 2023 and 9.6% in 2022.
For comparison, Johnston had a drop rate of 4.5% last season.