WR, North Dakota State
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 208 lbs
Class: rs-Senior
As just a two-star recruit coming out of high school in 2017, North Dakota State were the only team to offer Watson a scholarship. After redshirting as a freshman, he earned some playing time with the Bison in 2018. He took on a starting role the following year, creating a lethal partnership with Trey Lance that took them to their third straight FCS title.
Watson put up some solid numbers in the 2020 FCS spring season, before a career year as a redshirt senior. He finished the 2021 season with 43 catches for 801 yards and seven touchdowns, earning FCS All-American honours for the second time.
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Strengths
One of Watson’s biggest strengths is his athletic profile. He possesses blazing speed which is even more impressive when you factor in his size. Watson is able to create easy separation on full speed routes and had a tonne of success as a vertical threat with North Dakota State. He averaged 20.6 yards per reception on his 104 career catches in college. His 9.98 Relative Athletic Score was also the fifth best of any wide receiver prospect since 2000.
Watson pairs this athleticism with a good release package. He faced a lot of off coverage in the FCS and was outstanding in exploiting it. His explosiveness allows him to quickly eat up the cushion and he is quick to stack his opponent downfield. When it comes to press coverage, Watson has also shown some promise. His performance at the Senior Bowl was particularly impressive, showcasing the quick feet and upper body strength required to get off the line of scrimmage.
Another strength of Watson’s game is his ability to create after the catch. His elite speed makes him a big play threat and he has the vision to navigate traffic. He is also surprisingly elusive for a bigger receiver, showing the ability to make defenders miss in the open field. Watson averaged 8.5 yards after the catch during his college career.
Another strength of Watson’s game is his competitive toughness. As a receiver he shows grit at the catch point to haul in passes over the middle of the field with contact imminent. He was also given a lot of work as a run blocker at North Dakota State and showed great tenacity. Watson’s willingness to chase plays downfield to make blocks helped spring a number of big touchdowns for the Bison.
Weaknesses
Watson shows plenty of promise but he isn’t the finished article. He is still very raw as a route runner. Whilst he does show some understanding of how to manipulate defensive backs, this isn’t yet a big part of his game. There is also still plenty of wasted motion in and out of his breaks. This limits his ability to consistently create separation at the top of the route. He was able to rely on his athletic advantage in the FCS but will need more than that to win consistently in the NFL.
Watson could also improve his ability at the catch point. Despite good size and solid play strength, he isn’t nearly as imposing in contested catch situations as you might expect. He won just 30% of such targets during his college career, and this was against a lower level of competition in the FCS. Whilst Watson’s hands are decent enough, he does also have issues tracking over his shoulder and adjusting outside his frame.
Bottom Line
Watson has the combination of size and speed that should translate well to the NFL level. His ability to get off the line against press coverage and win at all three levels of the field should see him get a starting role early in his pro career. Whilst he does need some work on his route running, he has the tools to be a good starter in the NFL.
Ideal role: Vertical threat in a Shanahan-style offense
Round projection: Late 1st round – early 2nd round
