2017 Houston Texans First Round Pick - DeShaun Watson, QB, Clemson

DeShaun Watson, Clemson, #4

Game Film Evaluated:

Alabama (2016)

Ohio State (2016)

Louisville (2016)

Summary: Excellent footwork. Poor accuracy which is rare when his footwork is so good. He just misses badly despite having good mechanics. A one read type QB who is someone who can progress on his reads. He tucks the ball and runs with it too often when he should buy time and beat teams more with his arm. He has got to be careful to know when to run with it and when to throw it away. Kid really responds well to adversity, he played poorly vs Louisville with multiple turnovers and responded with clutch throws to secure a win. Looked off safeties vs Ohio State. Throws the ball with anticipation before the receiver has turned for the ball. Comfortable throwing the ball into tight areas. He is vulnerable to be blitzed, he will take his eyes off the receivers and on the pressure. He has got to understand to recognize blitz presnap and focus on beating the blitz. He takes a lot of hard hits which he cannot keep doing at the next level. DeShaun Watson is a puzzling prospect, he is the QB that led his team to back to back national championship games where his performance gave his team chances to win. He has no experience working under center but his mechanics and footwork are already pro ready. However he needs to recognize the defense presnap and be more comfortable facing the blitz or else he will get blitzed a majority of the time until he beats it.  He seems to be a groove quarterback, once he gets settled into the game he can’t be stopped which is what happened against Alabama. However the performance against Louisville is most impressive as he played poorly throwing INTs but responded to adversity when he didn’t play well to still make the clutch throws late to win the game. He reminds me of Donovan McNabb but prefers to run a lot more than he ever did at Syracuse or in Philly. There is a lot to like with Watson and although he may not win the competition in workouts or combine, the kid finds a way to win in the games.  Second round grade with a significant learning curve.