From now till the 2022 NFL Draft takes place, we hope to scout and create profiles for as many prospects as doable, analyzing their strengths, weaknesses, and what they will deliver to an NFL franchise. These gamers may very well be potential prime 10 picks, all the way in which right down to Day 3 alternatives and precedence undrafted free brokers. Right now, I’ll be profiling one of many greatest risers on this 12 months’s pre-draft course of, North Dakota extensive receiver, Christian Watson.
#1 Christian Watson, Extensive Receiver, North Dakota State (r-Sr.) – 6041, 208 lbs.
MEASUREMENTS
| Participant | Ht/Wt | Hand Dimension | Arm Size | Wingspan |
| Christian Watson | 6041/108 | 10 1/8″ | 32 1/2 | 77 5/8″ |
| 40-Yard Sprint | 10-Yard Sprint | Quick Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 4.36 | 1.46 | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Leap | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 11’4″ | 38.5″ | N/A |
The Good
— Nice dimension and size – 6″4″, 32 1/2 in. arms
— Elite pace confirmed at NFL mix (4.36 – 40 yard sprint)
— Easy athlete for his dimension, strikes like he’s a 5″11″ not 6’4″
— Dynamic participant scoring via air, on the bottom, and within the return recreation
— Velocity and acceleration assist win vs press
— Massive play risk averaging over 20 yards per catch in his profession
— Nice capacity monitoring deep balls
— Useful energy to play via contact
— Drew a ton of defensive cross interferences on deep passes
— Kickoff return capacity: First Staff All-American as a kick returner in 2020
— Exhibits wish to and data how one can block within the run recreation and away from the soccer
The Unhealthy
— Ran a restricted route tree in a run-heavy NDSU offense
— Doesn’t create a lot separation on intermediate routes vs man
— Takes too many steps on the prime of his routes, makes him sluggish out of breaks
— Performed at FCS college, not taking part in towards prime competitors each week
— Might want to broaden launch repertoire on the subsequent degree
— Some focus drops, particularly on routes over the center
Bio
— 104 rec., 2134 rec. yards, 20.5 ypc, 14 rec TDs
— 49 rushes, 392 dashing yards, 8.0 avg., 2 dashing TDs
— Part of 4 Nationwide Championship groups
— 2021 Related Press All-America Second Staff (WR)
— 2020-21 Related Press All-America First Staff (All-Goal)
— 2020-21, 2021 All-MVFC First Staff (WR)
— 2022 Reese’s Senior Bowl Participant
— Father, Tim, performed at Howard College and was a security within the NFL for the Chiefs, Giants and Eagles from 1993 to 1997
— Brother, Tre, performed linebacker on the College of Illinois and College of Maryland, frolicked in NFL and XFL
— 2017 graduate of H.B. Plant Excessive College, honor roll pupil
— College Research main
Tape Breakdown
Christian Watson entered the 2022 pre-draft course of as a normal sleeper on the extensive receiver place for those who knew him in any respect. After stellar weeks on the Senior Bowl and NFL Mix alike, he’s now not an underneath the radar prospect. Let’s check out what Watson placed on tape throughout his 4 years in Fargo that backs up his pre-draft hype.
The under clip is strictly what Watson can deliver to an NFL offense. He’s lined up on the prime of the display, is ready to pace launch inside. Discover how even together with his stem and combating via contact he seemingly by no means loses his acceleration downfield. He lastly is ready to break away from the contact and observe the deep throw down for a 60-yard landing. You’ll be exhausting pressed to discover a higher deep ball monitoring receiver on this 12 months’s class.
Let’s check out one other deep publish by Watson. It’s one other play-action deep shot by North Dakota State. This time it’s truly a Yankee idea. I like this rep from Watson due to how he manipulates the leverage of the defensive again. Watch as he presses vertical, he stems outdoors round six yards to additional carry the defensive again’s momentum outdoors earlier than exploding inside. Watson is so clean on the prime of those routes, displaying now stiffness for his dimension. The remainder is historical past as once more Watson makes a pleasant adjustment monitoring the ball within the air and bringing it in for the rating.
The most important enchancment Watson made to his recreation from his sophomore and junior 12 months to senior 12 months was his capacity to herald contested catches. Right here, you possibly can see him struggle via a cross interference and present his fingers late to herald this ball proper on the sidelines for a landing. Watson’s physique management is one thing that you simply’ll see a superb bit in these clips.
One other rep displaying off Watson’s contested catch capacity. He’s capable of get the nook to chew on a hitch and go. The quarterback severely underthrows a would-be landing, however Watson is ready to go up and pluck the ball off the cornerback’s helmet.
NDSU was not afraid to maneuver Christian Watson round to create mismatches. Beneath, he’s lined up within the backfield operating a seam. Watson finishes the rep with one other contested catch over the linebacker. Watson has safely put to mattress the questions of him not taking part in as much as his dimension that was on his tape earlier than his senior 12 months.
NDSU additionally preferred shifting Watson into the slot to create mismatches together with his pace and dimension that means. Beneath, you possibly can see him lined up inside. He squares up the defensive again then bursts inside for the best launch. You’ll be able to see Watson simply stack the defender right here. With the security taking part in so shallow, if the quarterback wished to he has a fantastic look to put one out right here to Watson.
You don’t see a full route tree out of the slot from Watson, however why repair what’s not damaged? The NDSU teaching employees will need to have preferred what they noticed on the primary rep and advised the quarterback to try it out the slot fade this time. One assume you discover about Watson on reps is he doesn’t go full pace on his vertical routes as a result of he is aware of he’ll outrun the arm of his quarterbacks. I strongly imagine he may have stacked with pace once more if he doesn’t energy down across the 35. Regardless, he’s nonetheless in a position to make use of his energy to get the DB on his again. The defender panics and finally ends up grabbing Watson’s shoulder pad for a cross interference. A typical theme on Watson’s tape.
Beneath, you see one other rep the place Watson has a burst launch off the road however lets off the glass simply as he’s about to place the DB on his again to not run out of his quarterback’s vary. Then, when the ball is within the air, Watson turns the pace on sufficient once more to stack the DB and discover the soccer that was thrown inside. Nice rep.
Right here’s a cleaner vertical stack from Watson that he simply GOES. He has a burst launch inside and cleanly wins deep. The one selection the cornerback has right here is to seize Watson and convey him down or it will have been one other straightforward landing for Watson.
Watson reveals his soccer IQ on this subsequent rep. He’s operating a go-route however notices that the protection is in cowl 2. Watch as as a substitute of operating full bore he powers down proper within the gap between the nook and the security. Then reveals off his physique management to twirl round and make a pleasant fingers catch on the sidelines.
With Watson’s pace and fluidity as a runner, it interprets over to creating some good yard after the catch. Watson runs nothing however a easy hitch route right here nad together with his fast flip and burst outdoors he’s capable of exhibit that 4.36 pace by ruining all pursuit angles by the protection.
Have a look at the separation Watson creates because of his pace on this comeback. His preliminary go off the road eats up the corners cushion instantly, inflicting him to show and run and as quickly as he does Watson breaks down for the comeback. Then, as soon as he will get the ball in his fingers he reveals off how harmful of a weapon he actually is. He sidesteps the primary deal with after which makes use of a mixture of pace and energy so as to add an additional 18 yards to the play.
We’ll take a look at one final rep of Watson’s YAC capacity. He once more will get the nook to lean upfield, respecting his pace. Then he cuts it off creating ample separation on the prime of the route for the completion. Then he’s off to the races, displaying off his elusiveness within the open subject. It takes roughly six defenders and 30 yards to deliver him down after the catch.
The most important factor Watson has to work on proper now could be his intermediate route operating. He takes far too many steps on the prime of his routes. It makes him actually sluggish out of cuts and if he continues to do that within the NFL he’ll by no means be open on non-deep routes towards man. He takes 5-6 steps on the prime of this route, that wants minimize down by about half to be an efficient route on the prime.
Right here’s one other instance of the identical factor. You see how straightforward the nook is ready to sink with the route and blanket Watson with the additional steps on the prime of the route. When he’s not capable of win with pace, he struggles to realize separation.
That’s the place Watson is at his rawest, route-running capacity. The nice factor for him is, he’s blessed with dimension and pace, these are the intangibles you possibly can’t educate. He hasn’t needed to be a route technician as a result of he may merely run by everybody on the FCS degree. Route operating is one thing he’ll study over time on the subsequent degree as his route tree expands.
The opposite detrimental to Watson’s recreation that he wants to scrub up is occasional focus drop. Typically talking, Watson has good fingers, however he does want to scrub up some drops as seen under. This one is just a little low however simply hits each fingers. Suppose he feels the presence of the protection closing in on him and takes his consideration away from catching the ball.
Right here’s one other instance of a spotlight drop. For some cause right here the rep is fairly lackadaisical. He makes use of his pace to get open then coasts and solely places out one hand to catch this ball when it’s properly inside his catch radius. Might have been one other deep catch towards Youngstown.
Let’s finish this on some excessive notes. Watson’s pace and elusiveness make him a weapon within the run recreation. Whereas I don’t see him being utilized like a Deebo Samuel and even lined up within the backfield as NDSU did, he does supply a ton in the long run round and jet sweep recreation. Simply one other approach to get the ball in his fingers and let him go to work.
The opposite factor that I like to see from younger extensive receivers is their capacity to play outdoors of construction. With Watson taking part in with now San Francisco 49er, Trey Lance for a 12 months it helped him develop so much on this space of his recreation. Taking part in out of construction and having the ability to discover open house throughout the scramble drill. Within the under clip, you possibly can see Watson operating a publish. He realizes as quickly as he seems again for the ball that his QB is in want of assist and circles all the way in which again to the nook of the top zone. He’s capable of go down and get the ball for a landing. Nice rep.
I’d be remiss to not discuss Watson’s capacity within the blocking recreation as properly. Taking part in for a run-heavy offense like NDSU, he wasn’t going to get on the sphere if he didn’t embrace blocking. An offense’s effectiveness within the run recreation could be drastically enhanced by receivers that purchase into blocking downfield. Watson brings that to the desk after which some. I’ll hyperlink to the movie room under I did about his blocking on the Senior Bowl if you wish to see extra.
Conclusion
Christian Watson is a particularly intriguing prospect for receiver-needy groups on day two. He’s your prototypical top, weight, pace receiver that makes offensive coordinators salivate watching their movie. He jogs my memory a ton of Martavis Bryant popping out of Clemson and assume he’ll be used equally in his first few years within the league. He is usually a plug-and-play Z receiver answerable for the entrance aspect go’s and bottom posts within the offense you can take an occasional deep shot to. Nevertheless, Watson is rather more full of a “soccer participant.” He may also help in you all phases of the sport and the extra inventive you could be the higher with regards to Watson. A coordinator and quarterback might be very proud of whoever finally ends up with the North Dakota State product to throw to on Sundays.
Projection: Mid-Day 2
Depot Draft Grade: 7.6 – Potential Starter/Good Backup (third Spherical)
Video games Watched: vs Northern Iowa (2021), vs. Montana State (2021), at Youngstown State (2021), at South Dakota State (2021), Missouri State (2021), Senior Bowl (2022)
