Scouting report
DeshaunWatson, Texansquarterback
Information for this report was obtained from NFL scouts.
DeshaunWatson, 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, is in his fourth season with the Texans, who traded up fromNo. 25 toNo. 12 to select him in the 2017 draft as the third quarterback selected after Mitch Trubisky and PatrickMahomes.
Watson leads theNFLin yards per attempt (8.82) and is the first in league history with 90 passing touchdowns and 15 rushing scores in his first 50 games. He also is the first quarterback with more than 13,000 yards passing and 1,500 rushing yards through 50 games. He’s third all time in passer rating (minimum 1,500 attempts) at 110.0.
“He’s playing his best football this season, and he’s been damn good,” the scout said. “He’s processing with more speed. He’s getting to one, two and then his third read more efficiently. In the past, itwas get the ball to DeAndreHopkins, whowas his one, and hewould lock on him. WhenDeAndre wasn’t there, his eyeswould drop and he’d start to be an athlete andmove out of the pocket. You don’twant to take away his ability tomove. That’s a key part of his game.
“He has elite second-reaction ability as a runner and as a passer. What you’re seeing now— they gave awayHopkins in that trade (with the Arizona Cardinals)— is he is staying in the pocket, he’s using his eyes and he’s anticipating windows and throwing with precise location. He’s developed into a completeNFLquarterback, and on top of that he’s got that ability tomove, but he only uses it when he has to now. It’s not a situation where his eyes drop, ‘I’ve got to get out of here,’ and he is trying to escape. He’s starting to mastermovement in the pocket… and that’s what has elevated his game.
“That’s the best thing he’s put on tape this year, and he’s doing it without a top-five wide receiver. You can make the argument the loss ofHopkins has forced Deshaun to become a more efficient quarterback with both his eyes and howhe processes the action aswell as his arm. That trade didn’t helpHouston, but yeah, he’s a better quarterback. WithoutWatson, that team might be neck and neck with the Jets and the Jaguars to pickNo. 1. They have a deficient roster in Houston, and it’s going to be hard to rebuild as they have no picks. That’s a tough job, but the attraction there is you’ve got Deshaun Watson. There’s a lot ofwork to do there, but man, the quarterback is in place.”