Pounding the table for Christian Watson at 25

[Coach Tuesday]

7 minutes ago, glazeduck said:

@Vickveto I'd encourage you to look deeper into the metrics that most often lead to pro success. One of the leading indicators is breakout age and Pickens has one of the youngest, ever at 18.5 -- basically, how early did this kid dominate college football and he did it almost immediately. He also, in that freshman season, had a 27% dominator rating, so he was REALLY good, right away (in the SEC, no less).

 

As for his speed? The guy ran a 4.47 while rehabbing a torn ACL, so he's certainly not slow. 

Catch radius? He's 5th in this draft class among the realistic top WRs with a 77 3/8 wingspan.

His RAS (again, coming off of a major injury) was 8th best among ALL WRs -- 3rd among relevant ones.

His freak score was 4th among top WRs as well (and once again, see: tear, ACL)

 

By the data, mid-ACL-tear-recovery George Pickens is easily a top 10 wr prospect. Once he's healthy, I'd argue top 5. Then, go put on the tape. The kid is a DOG. He blocks his @$$ off, he plays with emotion and intensity, his swagger just jumps off the screen. You see a player who's average at everything, I see a kid readymade for the NFL with zero weaknesses and nothing but sky-high ceiling. 

Supposedly Green Bay is very interested in him as a potential replacement for Adams.

[glazeduck]

1 minute ago, Coach Tuesday said:

Supposedly Green Bay is very interested in him as a potential replacement for Adams.

I can absolutely see that. I won't be at all surprised if he's drafted ahead of Watson (GASP!!!), Pierce, Burks, possibly even the Ohio State kids. To me he's all upside with next to exceedingly limited bust potential, and that's absolutely what most GMs are looking for in this draft (especially when you've got Aaron Rodgers needing immediately reliable weapons).

 

That's a good place to be when your competition is a speed merchant coming off a more recent ACL tear, 2 guys who look best aligned in the slot, an enigma that hasn't lived up to hype (Burks), and a small-school athletic phenom without the performance to back up his draft hype.

[KOKBILLS]

1 hour ago, Vickveto said:

You still did not answer the question nor did the scout which of those four categories is pickens  going to be elite in because all the league wide receivers in the league or elite in at least one of those categories so don’t tiptoe around it and no 4.47 is not enough he’s very good like I said but he’s not a blazer I do not need safety help for Pickens. You have made zero points I just explained how four wide receivers in the first round could possibly become elite because they have an elite attribute but not Pickens. If he was so ALPHA he would be RAC beast like Burk. He is a second round pick he can probably become a good two. That’s not what you spend a first round draft pick on. You spend it on somebody who you think can become an elite receiver not just very good.

 

What?...Anyway...Have a good one...

[Vickveto]

16 minutes ago, OldTimer1960 said:

You are kind of overlooking that Diggs was nowhere near your definition of “elite” when he was drafted (in the 5th round).  He wasn’t the route runner then that he is now.  Same withe Cooper Kupp. 
 

I think your criteria are missing some things and, again, it is unrealistic to think that every first round pick will be elite.  It is perfectly OK and a win to get “just” a good starter and every year there are guys who don’t pan out even from round 1.

There is irrelevant every team missed on those players  most teams five times Teams miss on players and players develop every year In order to be a first round pick worthy of a first round grade you have to be projected to be elite and come in day one a good player there are thousands of players eligible to get drafted in the NFL every year you better be an elite player with some elite intangibles to be worthy of a first round pick.

[OldTimer1960]

2 minutes ago, Vickveto said:

There is irrelevant every team missed on those players  most teams five times Teams miss on players and players develop every year In order to be a first round pick worthy of a first round grade you have to be projected to be elite and come in day one a good player there are thousands of players eligible to get drafted in the NFL every year you better be an elite player with some elite intangibles to be worthy of a first round pick.

I just flat disagree.  Every year there are 32 first round picks, if there are not 32 players who fit your definition of “elite”, teams just go with who they think are the best available.  

[Vickveto]

1 minute ago, OldTimer1960 said:

I just flat disagree.  Every year there are 32 first round picks, if there are not 32 players who fit your definition of “elite”, teams just go with who they think are the best available.  

I will start off by saying if people think Pickens is a first round pick OK that’s fine I just stated in my reasons why I do not believe he is a first but a second round grade.

 

Depending on the draft class The amount of first ground grades varies it may not even be 32 first round grades. so therefore you are semi-correct.but  it could be all the way up to 45 first round grades from what I’ve seen. Different teams have different draft strategies. Most teams will grab a first round graded player for a position of need.Some teams impact. Genuine BPA drafting is rare.

[Coach Tuesday]

Just now, Vickveto said:

I will repeat if people think Pickens is a first round pick that is fine I believe he has a second round grade nobody here has stated that they believe pickens will become a top 15 receiver or even an elite receiver. They say he will be very good and I can see that.

 

therefore nobody actually believes he is worthy of a first round draft pick. That’s my opinion.

What does that have to do with what I posted?

[Vickveto]

5 minutes ago, Coach Tuesday said:

What does that have to do with what I posted?

I think it’s a smokescreen but I guess only time will tell. I think they take Olave or Watson

[OldTimer1960]

On 4/4/2022 at 5:32 PM, BillsFanForever19 said:

He's one of my favorite WR fits for what Buffalo's looking for. There was a time when I was all in on him as our 2nd Round pick. When I do mock draft simulations, I always take him if he's on the board in Round 2.

 

However, he reportedly has been flying up Draft Boards and could now be selected at the end of Round 1. I think 25 is too high for him. If there's a run at CB and WR where 5 CB's and 6 WR's are taken in Round 1 - maybe. 

 

But I think my strategy is CB Round 1 and then if he's on the board at the top of Round 2, try and trade up. Or if it does fall that way where 11 of the first 24 picks are CB's and WR's, I'd try and trade down for in an extra pick in Round 2 or 3 and maybe Watson is one of those top picks a little later than 25.

Costs a lot to go from Bills’ pick to top of round 2.  Their 2nd + 3rd + 4th does not likely get them to the top of the 2nd.  That might get you to about pick 38.

[Manther]

On 4/4/2022 at 5:48 PM, John from Riverside said:

If we are gonna do it....trade down.....get an additional 2nd

Take your guy, don't get cute.

 

Regarding a trade down, I am not against it.  Get your guy before acquiring assets IF you still want your guy.  Depends how many WRs are off the board.  My guess is many at 25, if so, take him if he is your guy.

[Patrick Duffy]

19 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

Come on man. You understood my point though and it’s obvious their first priority is defense year in and year out.

You think there's a chance they switch it up this draft and go offense with 1st pick?

Edited April 6, 2022 by Sheneneh Jenkins

[NewEra]

41 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

Come on man. You understood my point though and it’s obvious their first priority is defense year in and year out.

Then you should say that…..you go ridiculously overboard. 

[Alphadawg7]

I like Watson a lot.

 

But...now that Diggs is extended and hearing the way Emmanuel Sanders GUSHED about Davis, I think its very unlikely we take a WR round 1 unless there was just nothing else on the board that Beane felt good about.  In which case, I think he trades back if that happened.  

 

If anyone hasn't yet seen it, Sanders gushed about Davis talking about all the greats hes been around like AB, D. Thomas, M. Thomas, etc and said Davis is just built different and hes a pro bowl level WR he expects to break out big time this year.  Thats high praise coming from a great pro like Sanders whose played with a ton of talented QB's and WR's.  

 

So for me, I think first round is not likely to be WR post Diggs extension. 

[Vickveto]

17 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

I like Watson a lot.

 

But...now that Diggs is extended and hearing the way Emmanuel Sanders GUSHED about Davis, I think its very unlikely we take a WR round 1 unless there was just nothing else on the board that Beane felt good about.  In which case, I think he trades back if that happened.  

 

If anyone hasn't yet seen it, Sanders gushed about Davis talking about all the greats hes been around like AB, D. Thomas, M. Thomas, etc and said Davis is just built different and hes a pro bowl level WR he expects to break out big time this year.  Thats high praise coming from a great pro like Sanders whose played with a ton of talented QB's and WR's.  

 

So for me, I think first round is not likely to be WR post Diggs extension. 

I’m not sold on Davis but fine let’s say you’re right and he is good  if Davis or Diggs goes down to injury Jake Kumerow is going to be starting outside I think I’ll take a pass on that give me more talent. I don’t think he has the talent to be single coverage consistently. We throw the ball 70% of the time which means Davis and Diggs have to take breaks  I don’t want to see Jake Kumerow seeing any meaningful snaps. Him and Stevens are practice squad level players IMO. we are one injury away.

Edited April 6, 2022 by Vickveto

[BADOLBILZ]

6 hours ago, NewEra said:

I didn’t pretend anything.  Offense WAS prioritized over defense in the first round of that draft.  That isn’t made up. 
 

Who was arguing the bolded point? Not I. First round was the talking point….not “early in the draft”.
 

No one is arguing any of the other points you’re talking about…..but carry on.   

 

 

It's not just the first round.........most of Beane's second round picks have been exhausted on defense as well.

 

Edmunds was a 1 + 2

Epenesa

Basham

 

Ford is the outlier

 

And yes they wheeled and dealed picks away to move up for Allen...........but how did they gain extra capital?    All of the draft capital they acquired in 2018 to get Allen and Edmunds was done by trading 3 offensive players and moving back out of the Mahomes pick spot with KC.    

 

You can argue that those trades worked out so they show how smart Beane is...........but by the same token NONE of Beane's MANY notable defensive free agent signings have panned out........Star/Murphy/Vontae/Norman/Jefferson/Butler..........nothing but busts with the exception of Mario Addison who was underwhelming at best.

 

And look at it this way...........when they need a 1 Tech to play 40% of the snaps they pay Jones $7M aav on a multi-year deal......when they need a slot receiver they pay $2M.........when they need starting guards they pay $4M and $6M.     I mean Bates deal is closer to backup slot CB Siran Neal's $3M+ or backup LB Matakevich original $4M aav deal than it is what they played Jones to play 60% less snaps than him.  

 

Quality on defense has been consistently prioritized over offense.   It's hard to argue otherwise............so why doth you protest so much?

[Alphadawg7]

11 minutes ago, Vickveto said:

I’m not sold on Davis but fine let’s say you’re right and he is good  if Davis or Diggs goes down to injury Jake Kumerow is going to be starting outside I think I’ll take a pass on that give me more talent. I don’t think he has the talent to be single coverage consistently. We throw the ball 70% of the time which means Davis and Diggs have to take breaks  I don’t want to see Jake Kumerow seeing any meaningful snaps. Him and Stevens our practice squad level players IMO we are one injury away.

I did not say we wouldnt draft one.  I said we won’t take one in the first.  
 

Look around the league, most the top 10 WRs were not drafted in the first round.  There is this obsession as if we have to get one in the first, but that’s just not the case.  
 

Diggs, Adam’s, , Kupp, Deebo, AJ, DK, Hill, Thomas, etc were all not first round picks.   
 

We can wait and get another WR in round 2,3, or 4

And watch Sanders talk about Davis:

 

 

 

Edited April 6, 2022 by Alphadawg7

[Vickveto]

14 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

I did not say we wouldnt draft one.  I said we won’t take one in the first.  
 

Look around the league, most the top 10 WRs were not drafted in the first round.  There is this obsession as if we have to get one in the first, but that’s just not the case.  
 

Diggs, Adam’s, , Kupp, Deebo, AJ, DK, Hill, Thomas, etc were all not first round picks.   
 

We can wait and get another WR in round 2,3, or 4

And watch Sanders talk about Davis:

 

 

 

of course he’s going to talk good about the bills we may call him if injuries get thick. Gabe Davis did not win that starting job and that monster game the defense dedicated themselves to double teaming diggs. And the most important part is I think Watson is going to be the best player available at 25 if Burk falls I think he will be worth the pick as well.

[Alphadawg7]

Just now, Vickveto said:

of course he’s going to talk good about the bills we may call him if injuries get thick. Gabe Davis did not win that starting job and that monster game the defense dedicated themselves to double teaming diggs. And the most important part is I think Watson is going to be the best player available at 25 if Burk falls I think he will be worth the pick as well.

 

Its not about the Bills, its what he specifically said about Davis.  And he gushed about Davis in multiple segments.  I don't know why you aren't sold on Davis, he has produced when called upon and seems poised for a breakout.  

 

Either way, this obsessive need by some people to take a WR first round is puzzling to me.  Most the best WR's in the game now and many in the past were not first round picks.  I mean, lets make a list of arguably the top 10 in no particular order:

• Adams
• Diggs
• Hill
• AJ Brown
• Deebo
• Kupp
• Hopkins
• Jefferson
• Chase
• Metcalf

Only 3 of them were first round picks.  Then you have lots of other guys too after that like Lockett, McLaurin, Keenan Allen, etc.  

 

So I wouldn't get your hopes up, I will say its highly unlikely we take a WR in the first round, nor do we need to.  While you are worried about who is going to give Diggs and Davis breaks, we literally don't have enough corners to start week 1 on the roster.  And lets say we get lucky and Tre is available to start week 1, its going to take a while before he finds his form again.  

 

And in the loaded AFC, we are going to need more speed and depth at CB.  Not to mention all the speed we have to contend with just in our division now with the likes of the Dolphins who might have the fastest offense in the NFL now.  

[stinky finger]

23 minutes ago, Vickveto said:

of course he’s going to talk good about the bills we may call him if injuries get thick. Gabe Davis did not win that starting job and that monster game the defense dedicated themselves to double teaming diggs. And the most important part is I think Watson is going to be the best player available at 25 if Burk falls I think he will be worth the pick as well.

 

Davis is gonna be dynamite.

 

Watch - and be amazed.

[Vickveto]

6 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

Its not about the Bills, its what he specifically said about Davis.  And he gushed about Davis in multiple segments.  I don't know why you aren't sold on Davis, he has produced when called upon and seems poised for a breakout.  

 

Either way, this obsessive need by some people to take a WR first round is puzzling to me.  Most the best WR's in the game now and many in the past were not first round picks.  I mean, lets make a list of arguably the top 10 in no particular order:

• Adams
• Diggs
• Hill
• AJ Brown
• Deebo
• Kupp
• Hopkins
• Jefferson
• Chase
• Metcalf

Only 3 of them were first round picks.  Then you have lots of other guys too after that like Lockett, McLaurin, Keenan Allen, etc.  

 

So I wouldn't get your hopes up, I will say its highly unlikely we take a WR in the first round, nor do we need to.  While you are worried about who is going to give Diggs and Davis breaks, we literally don't have enough corners to start week 1 on the roster.  And lets say we get lucky and Tre is available to start week 1, its going to take a while before he finds his form again.  

 

And in the loaded AFC, we are going to need more speed and depth at CB.  Not to mention all the speed we have to contend with just in our division now with the likes of the Dolphins who might have the fastest offense in the NFL now.  

The bills are in a unique position we really don’t have any holes. if we land Gilmore or Haden those two will probably perform better than any rookie corner. With this unique position that the bills are in I think you take the best playmaker available in the first as long as the grade matches. I watch Metcalf and Claypool pass us and I thought they were worth the picks I don’t want to see it happen again with Watson. If we got McDuffe or boothe I wouldn’t be mad at all. The only player that would piss me off is Drake London in the first round. But I was still trust the GM saw something I didn’t see.

[Vickveto]

13 minutes ago, inaugural balls said:

 

Davis is gonna be dynamite.

 

Watch - and be amazed.

I hope he is I want to win a championship. But unless you feel the same way about Kumerow and Stevens then we should probably be discussing somebody who can step in day one outside.

[Warcodered]

 

[NewEra]

1 hour ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

It's not just the first round.........most of Beane's second round picks have been exhausted on defense as well.

 

Edmunds was a 1 + 2

Epenesa

Basham

 

Ford is the outlier

 

And yes they wheeled and dealed picks away to move up for Allen...........but how did they gain extra capital?    All of the draft capital they acquired in 2018 to get Allen and Edmunds was done by trading 3 offensive players and moving back out of the Mahomes pick spot with KC.    

 

You can argue that those trades worked out so they show how smart Beane is...........but by the same token NONE of Beane's MANY notable defensive free agent signings have panned out........Star/Murphy/Vontae/Norman/Jefferson/Butler..........nothing but busts with the exception of Mario Addison who was underwhelming at best.

 

And look at it this way...........when they need a 1 Tech to play 40% of the snaps they pay Jones $7M aav on a multi-year deal......when they need a slot receiver they pay $2M.........when they need starting guards they pay $4M and $6M.     I mean Bates deal is closer to backup slot CB Siran Neal's $3M+ or backup LB Matakevich original $4M aav deal than it is what they played Jones to play 60% less snaps than him.  

 

Quality on defense has been consistently prioritized over offense.   It's hard to argue otherwise............so why doth you protest so much?

Yes……it absolutely was just the first round that I was commenting on.  
 

you’re barking up the wrong tree right now…..while trying to move the goal posts.  
 

yes, I know that Beane has prioritized defense over offense.  I’ve said that several times over the last couple years.  

[Vickveto]

This is our championship window it is time to stack the deck before contracts and age break this team apart. We are not in the conversation  of best weapon groups when I talk to people, and I agree  we need more speed Watson/Williams/Burk and breece hall/Kenneth Walker/James Cook

I want two big time potential play makers early in the draft. I hope we trade up this year too and go all-in.

[Vickveto]

 

[K-9]

Chris Watson? He’s just a punt catcher.
 

 

Edited April 7, 2022 by K-9

[Vickveto]

21 minutes ago, Warcodered said:

 

9.62 wesson 

9.99 Watson 

still very intrigued sign me up

[Warcodered]

 

[Locomark]

This kid will be there at the end of round 2. 

[GunnerBill]

6 hours ago, Warcodered said:

 

 

Not saying Matt is copying me but..... go look at my post in the sleepers thread! Interesting he thinks he will go round 3. I think that is too early... but the kid does a lot of things well. 

[No_Matter_What]

8 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

It's not just the first round.........most of Beane's second round picks have been exhausted on defense as well.

 

Edmunds was a 1 + 2

Epenesa

Basham

 

Ford is the outlier

 

And yes they wheeled and dealed picks away to move up for Allen...........but how did they gain extra capital?    All of the draft capital they acquired in 2018 to get Allen and Edmunds was done by trading 3 offensive players and moving back out of the Mahomes pick spot with KC.    

 

You can argue that those trades worked out so they show how smart Beane is...........but by the same token NONE of Beane's MANY notable defensive free agent signings have panned out........Star/Murphy/Vontae/Norman/Jefferson/Butler..........nothing but busts with the exception of Mario Addison who was underwhelming at best.

 

And look at it this way...........when they need a 1 Tech to play 40% of the snaps they pay Jones $7M aav on a multi-year deal......when they need a slot receiver they pay $2M.........when they need starting guards they pay $4M and $6M.     I mean Bates deal is closer to backup slot CB Siran Neal's $3M+ or backup LB Matakevich original $4M aav deal than it is what they played Jones to play 60% less snaps than him.  

 

Quality on defense has been consistently prioritized over offense.   It's hard to argue otherwise............so why doth you protest so much?

I find it really interesting how for Edmunds you count also 2nd rounder we spent to move up but for Diggs you refuse to consider it as using a first round for offense

[BADOLBILZ]

6 hours ago, No_Matter_What said:

I find it really interesting how for Edmunds you count also 2nd rounder we spent to move up but for Diggs you refuse to consider it as using a first round for offense

 

 

They used a first rounder on Diggs..........they didn't draft him.

 

Drafting an unknown is being willing and confident enough in your ability to evaluate personnel to take more risk.........which is what they've shown wrt defense........probably because McDermott is a defensive HC and they have more trust in themselves on that side of the ball.  

 

And frankly,  none of us should have trusted their eye for offense based on the offenses they put on the field in 2017-2018-2019............it was easy to understand why they would trade for an expensive proven commodity.    Understandable but a reflection of weakness nonetheless.

 

What is the opportunity cost of not being more offense-centric?   Well, everyone knew that 2020 was a tremendous WR draft..........and the player that was selected with their traded pick was almost instantly the equal of Diggs......surpassed him last season.........and is playing on a contract with just a $4M aav.

[stinky finger]

20 hours ago, Vickveto said:

I hope he is I want to win a championship. But unless you feel the same way about Kumerow and Stevens then we should probably be discussing somebody who can step in day one outside.

I’m all for procuring another quality WR. 
 

Not because I worry about Gabe.

[BADOLBILZ]

20 hours ago, Warcodered said:

 

 

 

Woods may have great workout numbers but he runs like an old man........when his knees go up his shoulders go up........it's very disco-esque........lotta' wasted motion.  He is the opposite of a smooth athlete and definitely doesn't play anywhere near those speed and agility numbers on the field.    And for an ex-QB.......he doesn't handle the football well........shaky hands.  He is huge and can block so there is hope.   But he was on NFLN the other day and they were interviewing him and talking about Kyle Pitts comps.

 

[CapeBreton]

6 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

Woods may have great workout numbers but he runs like an old man........when his knees go up his shoulders go up........it's very disco-esque........lotta' wasted motion.  He is the opposite of a smooth athlete and definitely doesn't play anywhere near those speed and agility numbers on the field.    And for an ex-QB.......he doesn't handle the football well........shaky hands.  He is huge and can block so there is hope.   But he was on NFLN the other day and they were interviewing him and talking about Kyle Pitts comps.

 

It’s weird, I find Jelani Woods looks slow and not super athletic on tape but he destroyed the combine. Meanwhile, a guy like Isaiah Likely looks fast/athletic on tape but had a dreadful combine and very poor 40 time. I think I’d rather trust my eyes with what I see during the game instead of a few practice drills. 

 

[DrPJax]

On 4/4/2022 at 5:19 PM, OldTimer1960 said:

None of the higher rated WRs were at the Senior Bowl, so “best WR at the Senior Bowl” is nice, but doesn’t necessarily mean that he is a first round pick.

 

Don’t get me wrong, I like what I have seen of him, he is a great athlete beyond just his 40 time and he has outstanding size, but drops and level of competition leave me wondering.  Mid-2nd?  Sure.  Pick 25 with screaming need at corner, I would think risk and opportunity cost too high.

Great points!  In another thread on here I saw stats posted showing he had one of the highest drop rates , like 12% or so , among this current crop of receivers. That’s enough of a warning to drop him out of first round consideration given all the talent available. Might be a great second round pick depending on how the board falls and how pressed we are to fill the corner need etc, at least from a depth perspective. Other drop rates were about half that much for the wrs considered 1 st round talent. It’s pretty basic, your #1 trait for a wr has to be you can catch the ball first above all else , and that drop rate was against lower talent as well. So with our wr corp already in place , I’m not using a 1 st to then have questions about reliability; more willing to accept that risk with later picks.  

 

One interesting fact that Chris Brown pointed out was that since 2017 , 43% of the Bills draft choices played in the senior bowl !  So having a good week / game there has obviously carried weight with this staff. Tasker felt it was the icing on the cake so to speak , sorting out last questions and issues with close candidates.  It’s a whole week around NFL coaching and they scrutinize all behavior.  For example , one gm told Tasker he watched a guy miss the trash can throwing away a cup , AND he watched to see if the guy went over from the bench to pick it up or not !  It’s that level of scrutiny and shows how even little things can make a difference on considering if a guy is coachable.  So if he had a good week at the senior bowl , he probably is certainly on the Bills radar, but I would suspect that drop rate is also on their radar. Beane does like his high RAS guys , but I’m not sure this wr is going to fall in the right area value wise , and if he should go in the first/ early second , I would bet it will be to a different team.  I would be happy if he ended up with us in the second , but I wouldn’t trade up because of that drop rate, unless I was convinced poor QB play was a factor for it being so high.  It might take a year on the ps for him to blossom and I would lean more toward getting production this year for those first two picks , but if he is standing out on their board given their senior bowl bias , he could be a great bargain in the second round. 

[GunnerBill]

32 minutes ago, DrPJax said:

Great points!  In another thread on here I saw stats posted showing he had one of the highest drop rates , like 12% or so , among this current crop of receivers. 

 

Two points on the drop rate thing:

 

1. He mainly runs downfield routes, so his catch rate doesn't benefit from some of those artificially inflated rates that the guys catching balls behind and around the line of scrimmage have. He does have some drops on his film that are bad drops, no question. But often it is him getting a hand on balls that are high degree of difficulty catches. 

 

2. There was a marked improvement on the 2021 film and the numbers bear that out. His drop rate in 2020 was 28% and that fell to just under 10% last year. Still not ideal, granted, but again some of that is down to the routes he runs and the types of catches he is attempting. 

 

I can see why it might put people off. It's a fair knock. Get open, catch the ball. He hasn't demonstrated a high level of the second element. That said, DK Metcalf's college drop rate was 10% too.... with guys like these, physical freaks who mainly just run vertically down the field, you have to consider the context to the numbers. But for sure, it's a concern and it is why I don't have a 1st round grade on Watson. The problem is I do have a top 32 grade on him and as such unless you are a team in the top 5 or 6 of round 2 your chances of taking him outside the 1st are slim IMO. 

[colin]

so, i'm presuming dk metcalf was just behind this guy on the total athletic index score (i could be wrong).  How is this guy getting talked about in the 1st and dk fell to the second?  and we missed him for fatty fat fat ford!  

 

im guessing the issue there is that metcalf obv shoulda been higher, not that this watson kid should be much lower.

 

looking at the top 4 ranked athletic guys, they were all super producers.  Matt jones is the exception, but if i recall correctly, he was a drug addict who couldn't hack being a pro athlete.  he still went from qb to wr and made some shocking one handed catches for TDs for the short time he played.

[GunnerBill]

42 minutes ago, colin said:

so, i'm presuming dk metcalf was just behind this guy on the total athletic index score (i could be wrong).  How is this guy getting talked about in the 1st and dk fell to the second?  and we missed him for fatty fat fat ford!  

 

im guessing the issue there is that metcalf obv shoulda been higher, not that this watson kid should be much lower.

 

looking at the top 4 ranked athletic guys, they were all super producers.  Matt jones is the exception, but if i recall correctly, he was a drug addict who couldn't hack being a pro athlete.  he still went from qb to wr and made some shocking one handed catches for TDs for the short time he played.

 

DK was talked about a lot as a 1st rounder too, although I have the exact same high second on both. I was not as shocked as most DK slid out of the 1st, but everyone was surprised he fell as far as he did. I think the two areas where Watson is a cleaner prospect than DK are health and personality. Watson from everything you hear is a great kid with a pro attitude. DK had been hurt and had some questions about the consistency of his effort. On the flip side DK was coming out of the SEC and Watson is coming out of a much lower lever of competition. 

[BADOLBILZ]

10 hours ago, CapeBreton said:

It’s weird, I find Jelani Woods looks slow and not super athletic on tape but he destroyed the combine. Meanwhile, a guy like Isaiah Likely looks fast/athletic on tape but had a dreadful combine and very poor 40 time. I think I’d rather trust my eyes with what I see during the game instead of a few practice drills. 

 

 

 

And another thing about Woods...........his size seems to be a detriment after the catch..........instead of bowling defenders over his gangly awkwardness just seems to make him easier to tackle.   Maybe this is another Logan Thomas situation and he makes broad improvements with more experience..........but the hype about his RAS really doesn't match up with his tape AT ALL.