Draft Analysis: Christian Watson

February 10, 2022 /
  • Height: 6’4″
  • Weight: 211 lbs
  • College: North Dakota State
  • Tape watched: Northern Iowa, Eastern Washington, South Dakota, Montana State, Illinois State
  • NFL Comparison: Marquez Valdes-Scantling

Pros

  • Athleticism
    At 6’4″ 211 lbs, Watson has the prototypical frame to be an impact outside receiver. He showed his ability to be a true field stretcher that defenses will need to account for when he is on the field. He wins 50/50 balls, and has great body control both in the air and on the sidelines.
  • Hands
    While Watson has strong hands and makes great plays on the ball, there were a couple “wow” plays that you would start expecting from him and he wouldn’t complete the catch. High difficulty plays like that are ones that could separate Watson into being an elite matchup winner in the NFL. Watson is exceptional at tracking the football over both shoulders and in the air.
This looks like an easy homerun play, but the ability to track and catch this football 50 yards downfield directly over Watson’s head is impressive.
  • Blocking
    Watson is hands down the best blocking receiver I have studied so far. He checks every box; desire, technique, strength, and drive. He can be an immediate upgrade to an outside zone team, and he can even effectively block linebackers. Watson never opts for the knockout block, and instead squares up, gets his hands inside and shields off run lanes.
The entire game against Eastern Washington is a blocking clinic from Watson.
  • Versatility
    North Dakota State lined up Watson at all three receiver positions. Having a big-bodied slot receiver has become popular in the NFL, as most nickel cornerbacks are smaller in size. Having experience in the slot and knowing how routes change and develop will be useful. NDSU also used Watson in the backfield, as well as a healthy dose of reverse and jet sweeps.

Cons

  • Route Running
    Watson is best when kept in vertical planes, or given the chance to open his stride up across the field on drags, delayed slants, or jet sweeps. NDSU’s RPO quick-read offense kept Watson on a vertical plane, with occasional quick outs, slants, and stand up routes when given enough cushion pre-snap. Watson may initially struggle with short and intermediate routes, unless he furthers his hand usage and attacks defenders’ leverage better. Watson showed good patience and detail in his double moves.
  • RAC
    Not a ton to write home about, but he will take the occasional slant route to the house if he finds a gap to really open his strides. He isn’t great with lateral movements, but he is aware and instead chooses to be a north-south runner. That will bode well for him at the next level. He is big enough to break tackles against smaller corners.

Cons

  • Release
    With most tall and lanky receivers, firing off the ball will be a question mark at the next level. Watson can be slower to get started than most, both in press and off-coverage. He will do well to work on his hand usage through press, not allowing defenders to punch and reset effectively. He can tend to take wide paths to avoid contact in press. Chase Claypool is a great example of how this might impact Watson in the NFL.
  • Competition Level
    The FCS is no slouch by any means, but the level of difficulty in some of Christian Watson’s games will pale in comparison to NFL cornerbacks. Watson was able to win mostly with size and speed in college.

Overview

Christian Watson has the tools and traits that cannot be taught in the NFL. This gives him a huge opportunity to become a true number one “X” receiver. He will need to expand his releases, work on short and intermediate routes, and prove he can be a go-to player in the league. With the upside of someone like Martavis Bryant, Watson may be a sleeper to go well ahead of his projections.