NFL Draft 2023: Matthew Judon wants the Patriots to pick a wide receiver in the first round

What will the New England Patriots do in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft? That remains to be seen, but linebacker Matthew Judon has a pretty specific wish list: the Pro Bowler wants his team to take TCU wide receiver Quentin Johnston.

Appearing on NFL Network on Monday, Judon explained the reason behind his draft-day wish.

“You can’t have enough offense,” he said. “I like Quentin Johnston from TCU. I think he’s a long, rangy guy. He has exceptional hands, he can catch anything, and he can stretch the field. I believe that he was good against man, he was good against press, he was good every year he was at TCU. And all he did was make big plays in big-time games. I think, eventually, that’s somebody you can’t leave 1-on-1.

“I think as he grows into the offense, he’s just going to make our offense boom even more. He’s going to be a deep ball threat, and I think he’s going to be good matched up with Tyquan because those are two fast guys.”

Johnston is considered a fringe first-round player after catching 60 passes for 1,069 yards and six touchdowns last season. The 6-foot-3, 208-pound wideout impresses with his combination of size and speed, but there are questions how it will translate to the NFL after relatively uneven pre-draft testing.

The Patriots own the 14th overall pick in this year’s draft. Wide receiver is one of the bigger needs together with cornerback and offensive tackle.