That Fiesta Bowl sure was a wild one. TCU and Michigan combined to score 96 points and gain 1,051 total yards from scrimmage. And there was a stretch in the second half that went as followed: Touchdown, touchdown, interception touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, touchdowns, fumble, touchdown, touchdown. It made for a heckuva game.
But one player stood out from the rest — and I hope the Chicago Bears were paying attention to him.
TCU wide receiver Quentin Johnston has played his way into being WR1 of the upcoming NFL Draft class this season. And he put up this stat line in the biggest game, on the grandest stage, and under the brightest lights:
That line is #elite. And it should put anyone drafting in the top 10 on notice.
Yes, that includes a Bears team that could use this type of playmaking skill to supplement quarterback Justin Fields and the passing game:
Please make note of how Johnston (1) caught that ball behind the line of scrimmage and (2) did all the hard work on that 76-yard touchdown catch. What a moment for the TCU stud. One that could launch him into a top 5 pick depending on how things shake out.
To be clear, I’m not ready to jump into the NFL Draft bin just yet. After all, the Bears still have two games to play. After that, we’re still 116 days away from Chicago’s football team going on the clock. But Johnston’s skills, stats, and performance in a primetime game allow for us to have an opening to have a conversation. And it could be much like the one the Bengals had a few years ago when weighing their options between protecting Joe Burrow by drafting Penei Sewell and giving him a stud receiver prospect by selecting Ja’Marr Chase. Again, it is too early for us to get too serious about the discussions. But after last night, I think we might need to have a chat down the line.