2017 NFL Draft Stock Report: Heisman candidates falling
Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson: Stock Down
Turnovers and long-range accuracy will be two of the biggest questions holding Deshaun Watson back during the NFL Draft process. We saw those haunt him against Louisville when he threw three interceptions in the Tigers victory over the Cardinals.
Accuracy for short-range throws will not be the issue for Watson. It will be the plays 40 yards down field where the ball won’t land in the bucket. An offense such as Chip Kelly’s where you don’t have to throw the ball 40 yards down field and just work on chip shots could suit Watson.
More from College Football
- College football neutral site games in 2023: Full list
- College GameDay announces surprise Week 1 destination
- College football analyst warns Oklahoma that Texas is doing better prep for SEC
- College Football Playoff national championship game locations for 2024, 2025 and beyond
- A Howard Schnellenberger Trophy to boot adds a little kick to emerging Miami-Louisville rivalry
Similarly to Rudolph, Watson doesn’t line-up under center, have the ability to audible, or call plays in the huddle. Going through his progressions and not pre-determining where to throw raises a red flag that can correlate to the interceptions.
Watson’s ability to escape from pressure reminds me of Russell Wilson, although Watson is much bigger than him. Cam Newton will come to mind, but Watson is smaller than him. Somewhere in that happy-medium range between Wilson and Newton sits Watson.
Cleveland may have been thinking of going “Winless for Watson” when they passed on Carson Wentz and traded out of the number two slot. Now they could be looking at Deshone Kizer and Brad Kaaya. I will not completely rule out Watson as the first quarterback to be drafted in 2017. However, I do believe he has fallen off as the presumptive number one pick thus far.