Johnston arrived in Los Angeles in 2023 as the 21st overall pick and spent most of his rookie season in the starting lineup, drawing targets on a meager 13.7 percent of routes and catching just 56.7 percent of those chances. His numbers improved last season under a new coaching staff, with the yards per route more than doubling from 0.88 to 1.85, but there were still some ugly weeks along the way, including an 0-for-5 showing in the playoff loss to Houston. Johnston scored eight TDs and averaged 5.4 yards after the catch, but he pulled in just 60.4 percent of his targets while struggling to track balls downfield. The Chargers responded by drafting Tre Harris in the second round and later signing Keenan Allen, giving Johnston tough competition for perimeter snaps in a balanced offense where Ladd McConkey is the clear No. 1 receiver. While there isn't much chance of major volume growth relative to last year, Johnston does have some shot to maintain his role and improve the per-target numbers.
