2017 NFL Draft KC Chiefs Scouting Report: Deshaun Watson
There has been a lot of debate in Chiefs Kingdom about what the KC Chiefs should do about their “Quarterback Situation.” Should the team break 34 years of tradition, and actually draft a quarterback in the first round of the upcoming NFL draft?
The Kansas City Chiefs haven’t drafted a quarterback in the first round of the NFL Draft since drafting Todd Blackledge in the 1983 Draft. Blackledge will best be remembered as being one of the biggest draft busts of all-time not just in Chiefs history, but ever.
Since then, the organization has shied away from drafting a quarterback in the first round of any draft, regardless of draft slot or team need.
Thankfully, this isn’t the same Chiefs teams that were led by Carl Peterson or Scott Pioli. The John Dorsey regime isn’t afraid to pull the trigger on any player if they feel it is the right call.
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For example, Marcus Peters or Tyreek Hill both players had character flaws/red flags coming out of college and so far those picks have worked out wonderfully. (Sorry: Throwing Salt Over My Shoulder and Knocking on Wood)
The John Dorsey regime isn’t afraid to pull the trigger on any player if they feel it is the right call.
Kansas City, meet Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Watson’s draft stock is all over the board, Pro Football Focus and NFL.com has him ranked as high as the number one overall pick, while others like Charlie Campbell of Walter Football sees Watson as a third or fourth round pick.
Coming off back-to-back seasons of leading the Clemson Tigers to the National Championship Game, and winning it this season. If that wasn’t enough already, he was nominated for back-to-back Heisman Trophies, unfortunately losing out both times.
Don’t feel bad too for Watson, however, as he has a lot of award hardware to his name. Just to name a of few: ACC Offensive Player of the Year (2015), ACC Player of the Year (2015), Manning Award twice (2015, 2016), Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (2016) and finally one College Football Championship (2016).
Deshaun Watson’s College Career Stats consisted of 814 completions on 1,207 pass attempts for 10,168 yards giving him a 67.4 completion percentage. He had 90 touchdowns versus only 32 interceptions for a 157.5 Quarterback Rating, per Sports Reference College Football
Being a dual-threat quarterback, Watson also ran for 26 touchdowns while rushing for 1,934 yards on 435 rushing attempts for an average of 4.4 yards per carry, also per Sports Reference College Football.
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Deshaun has been compared to current Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota, by NFL.com, which is a fair comparison because Mariota can beat a team with his arm or his legs.
That being said, I believe it would help Watson’s development to sit behind an established starter and learn the ropes for a season or two. Maybe Andy Reid, who is considered a “quarterback whisperer,” can work his quarterback guru magic on Watson.
Being a dual threat quarterback in the NFL can be a double-edged sword, as they are more prone to injuries. NFL teams are hesitant to draft a quarterback anyways, if a team swings and misses on a quarterback pick, it can fracture the franchise for years to come… or even decades.
The downsides of Watson are he is skinnier than what teams typically look for in a quarterback. He throws too many interceptions due to lack of field vision, his deep ball is hit and miss, a lot of times overthrowing the receiver completely. He also needs to work on his progressions, and letting routes finish instead of trying to thread the needle in tight coverage.-per NFL.com
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There is a lot of potential there with Watson, there is no denying that. Teams will have to weigh his sometimes poor throwing decisions and lack of vision versus his athleticism, accuracy, pocket poise, and leadership skills.
What do you make of Deshaun Watson, Chiefs fans? Would he be worth drafting in the first round?