5 NFL teams that should draft Deshaun Watson
Which NFL teams could have a shot at claiming Deshaun Watson in the upcoming draft?
Deshaun Watson is one of a handful of finalists for the Heisman Trophy in December. This is due to his 3,914 passing yards and 43 total touchdowns as he’s led the Clemson Tigers to their second-consecutive College Football Playoff appearance. They will play Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl for the right to face Alabama or Washington in the CFP National Championship Game in Tampa.
Following all this, though, Watson will be heading to the NFL, per Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney. He’ll probably end up in the first round, but at which point he goes in it remains to be seen. There’s still a long draft process to go through, which will see teams’ draft lists fluctuate. They could find something so minuscule that drops a player in the draft, something possible with anyone, including Watson.
However, someone is ultimately going to take Watson, and probably pretty high. Which teams would be the best options for him?
5. New Orleans Saints
Drew Brees is still putting up gaudy stats for the New Orleans Saints. As of December 6, he has 3,913 passing yards and 30 touchdowns for the 2016 season. This is all coming at age 37, so it seems that he’s playing a lot younger than what he really is.
However, there’s going to come a time when a replacement has to be developed to take over for Brees. It wasn’t going to be former Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel, and probably no other player at this position on the current roster. This could make Deshaun Watson an option in the upcoming NFL Draft if he’s available.
Watson represents a different look for the Saints at quarterback. He’s shown to be a proficient and somewhat inaccurate passer for Clemson, but also brings mobility, something that Brees isn’t really known for. The junior isn’t a burner, but he has the ability to take off for long gains out of the pocket while being able to sling the ball down the field.
New Orleans has been tentative on selecting a quarterback to replace Brees, though. They haven’t looked to develop one like the New England Patriots have behind Tom Brady, even though they usually trade his backups for draft picks (Matt Cassell, Ryan Mallett). Instead, the organization could look to draft someone in the first round to build around Brees and Co.