Wowed by Watson: NFL draft assessments are all over the board for Deshaun Watson, except from those closest to him.
QB who rises to occasion has star potential
Deshaun Watson’s comeback victory in the national championship game against Alabama cemented his big-game reputation, which will be one of his primary selling points when the NFL draft commences Thursday in Philadelphia.
“Watson has a knack for delivering his best performances in his team’s biggest games,” says Bucky Brooks, an analyst for NFL.com.
But long before that Jan. 9 game and long before Watson was poked, prodded, timed, tested, interviewed and analyzed by throngs of NFL personnel at the scouting combine in March, Leslie Frierson knew all she needed to know about her star pupil.
His fourth-grade teacher in Gainesville, Ga., saw plenty in the classroom and on the playground at Centennial Arts Academy.
“I don’t think there ever was a time before he was a football star. He was a football star when he was in the fourth grade,” Frierson said. “He was incredible. Anyone who had the time to watch him play, they just knew there was something special about him.
“He’s always been so smart and able to look at the field and know what he needed to do. He just had this innate sense that was mesmerizing to watch.”
Watson would own the field more often than not during his time at Clemson.
He guided the team to a 32-3 record as a starter and capped his record-breaking career with a final-minute drive for a 35-31 victory against defending national champion Alabama in the College Football Playoff championship Jan. 9.
In back-to-back appearances against Alabama in the title game, Watson totaled 941 yards of offense and eight touchdowns against Crimson Tide defenses that were loaded with NFL talent.
Scouts point to Watson’s intangibles, but his draft projections remain all over the board. Some analysts think he could be a topthree pick; others see him dropping to the latter portion of the first round or possibly even falling out of the first round.
Scouts interviewed by USA TODAY Sports placed him as the third quarterback to be taken in the draft, behind North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky and Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes. But he still was projected to go in the first round.
“He’s such an alpha male, he’s such a winner, he’s such a leader that people are overlooking the inconsistencies in the way he throws the football,” said an NFC executive who asked to remain anonymous for competitive reasons. “At midseason, people would never have said he was a firstround pick. The red flag to me is inconsistent accuracy and he throws a lot of balls into coverage, and there’s the (32 career) interceptions.”
‘HIGHLY RESPECTED’
Watson passed on an invitation to the Senior Bowl in January, preferring to concentrate on working out on the West Coast under the tutelage of quarterback instructor Jordan Palmer, but he showed up with guns blazing at the combine in Indianapolis.
He impressed with his arm strength, speed (4.68 seconds in the 40-yard dash), accuracy and drop-back ability.
Rob Rang, a draft analyst for CBS Sports, said Watson exhibited at the combine that he’ll be able to make the transition from a spread to a pro-style offense seamlessly.
“I thought Deshaun was terrific,” said Rang, comparing the workout to Marcus Mariota’s from 2015. “I think he really helped his draft stock.”
That showing, combined with his interviews that at least one NFL coach (the Kansas City Chiefs’ Andy Reid) deemed “offthe-charts” impressive, could enhance Watson’s standing on draft day.
He plans to be in Philadelphia for the draft but says he’s paying little attention to the projections.
“I don’t get caught up in all the hype of the draft and who’s going to be the first pick and all of that,” Watson said.
Watson also doesn’t appear to be concerned about where he lands in the draft.
“I’m going to bloom where I’m planted,” he said. “Wherever I go, I’m going to work hard and play my role and be the best I can be.”
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney
is happy to serve as Watson’s unofficial predraft spokesman.
Swinney has said that if the Cleveland Browns don’t take Watson with the top pick, “They’re passing on Michael Jordan.”
That remains to be seen, but Swinney is certain of one thing: “He won’t be sitting there long. I guarantee you that.”
The Browns, San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets have the most urgent needs at quarterback among teams drafting in the top 12, but if Watson isn’t chosen near the top of the first round, he could drop into the 20s, where the Houston Texans (25th) and the Chiefs (27th) could be obvious landing spots.
Mike Mayock, an NFL Network analyst, thinks other QBneedy teams would have to move above Houston and Kansas City to get Watson.
Mayock has Watson as his top-rated quarterback but not necessarily the most NFL-ready.
“The only major hurdle for him in the NFL is learning how to go from a spread college quarterback to an NFL pocket quarterback,” Mayock said. “I don’t think he’s ready Year 1, but, depending on where you take him in the first round, he might have to be.”
That said, Mayock came away from Watson’s pro-day workout at Clemson even more impressed.
“The reason I want to like him is when the lights are brightest, when it’s most important, he plays his best football,” Mayock said. “I like watching the ball come out of his hands. He’s got this real natural demeanor and confidence. It’s not loud, it’s not obnoxious, but his teammates pay attention to him. He’s highly respected.”
Wherever Watson lands, rest assured that Frierson — his fourth-grade teacher — and everyone else in Gainesville will be beaming with pride on draft day and beyond.
“They’re living this experience through me, and they all support me and are all happy for me,” Watson said. “They’re in the same boat as me, ready to figure out what team I’m going to be selected by so they can get the jersey and come to the games. They’re all excited, but they still treat me like a regular person, so nothing has changed.”