Every year it seems there are a couple of FCS prospects who explode onto the NFL draft scene. 2022 is no exception to that rule, and North Dakota State’s Christian Watson has leaped, jumped, and run his way into the top two rounds of the NFL draft.
While Watson played football in North Dakota, the Bison won the FCS National Championship all four years he attended the school, and Watson was twice named first-team all-Missouri Valley Football Conference. Watson accumulated 800 receiving yards this past season, and added 7 touchdowns. He flashed his big play potential all season long, averaging 18.6 yards per catch. In one game, Watson caught a 75 yard touchdown pass and then ran for a 70 yard touchdown on back-to-back offensive plays. He also returned kicks, giving him yet another tool for his future NFL team to utilize.
However, Watson’s draft stock is not high for his college production, but for his jaw-dropping NFL combine performance. The long lanky WR weighed in at 208 pounds, and was measured at a shade under 6’5”. Watson ran a 4.36 40 and thrust himself into the national spotlight. All of a sudden, draftniks everywhere began drooling over this kid who can do it all, and rightfully so. Watson added an 11 foot four inch broad jump, and a 38.5 inch vertical, leading Pro Football Focus to label him the “Freakiest Athlete in the Draft”.
“Watson has the size and enough athleticism and route-running ability to have the upside of a starting X WR.” -Bleacher Report Scouting Department
The main concerns with Christian Watson have to do with the talent he faced during his collegiate career, as is typical with prospects from the FCS. However, as players like Cooper Kupp (Eastern Washington), Kurt Warner (Northern Iowa), Jerry Rice (Miss. Valley State) and others have proved, NFL stars can come from the Football Championship Subdivision.
When asked what the “secret sauce” is that he will use to succeed at the next level, Watson answered,
“There’s really no secret sauce at all. Our number one thing at North Dakota State is to outwork everybody in the nation, regardless of what level, 365 days a year, from spring ball to summer workouts to fall camp. We wanna put more into ourselves and into our team than anybody else.”
While Watson might not be an instant contributor in the NFL, the tools are certainly there. He has the “wow factor” one looks for in a #1 WR. Brian Gutekunst and his team of scouts are almost certainly looking into the freaky phenom from the FCS.