When it comes to quarterbacks, they come aplenty. However, franchise QBs are rare. In the 2017 NFL Draft, there are only a couple that may be Franchise QBs. One of those players is Clemson Tiger, Deshaun Watson.
Many rank Watson as the top QB in the draft. Will he be the first QB off the board?
In this player profile, we look at the strengths and weaknesses of Deshaun Watson. At the end, we will target a few teams that could pull the trigger.
Strengths
Deshaun Watson is the two-time Heisman trophy finalist. He helped elevate Clemson to a national prowess. Now teams are tagging him as an NFL franchise QB. Here is why.
Watson has a great pocket presence. In fact, he does not let people around his feet bother him. Additionally, his movement inside the pocket is superb. So much so, that he was only sacked 32 times in his last 1,000+ drop-backs. Finally, he is tough in the pocket. Thus, he is willing to stand and deliver from the pocket while linemen are beating on him.
Deshaun Watson is also a dual threat. As a result, he is able to gain huge chunks of yardage quickly. Moreover, Watson vacates the pocket and makes defenses pay if they are not gap responsible. Consequently, his dual-threat abilities give coaches nightmares. Especially when trying to prepare for him in the red zone.
Weakness
He has a small frame. For fear that he may get injured teams would like to see him add a few pounds.
Watson’s accuracy comes and goes. For example, he tends to get his feet too far apart. In other words, over-stride. Thus, making his arm drop and the ball will take off high. Likewise, he throws behind his intended targets on crosses and slants.
Deshaun Watson will have to learn how to drop back from center. Hence, he is a lot like Jared Goff or Marcus Mariota. Consequently, he is going to have to learn to call plays in the huddle.
Possible Teams
San Francisco 49ers (2nd overall), Jacksonville Jaguars (4th overall), New York Jets (6th overall), Buffalo Bills (10th overall), Cleveland Browns (12th overall).