2017 NFL Draft Kansas City Chiefs Scouting Report: T.J. Watt
The 2017 NFL Draft is only a month away and the Kansas City Chiefs tend to be a team to always focus on the defensive side of the ball (at least early on) in the draft. Could Wisconsin’s T.J. Watt be hearing his name called by Kansas City?
As usual, the KC Chiefs have a ton of different directions they can go in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. They could decide to address the quarterback of the future, go with one of the many stout running backs, or focus on keeping the defense as strong as its been over the last three seasons.
A player that could make sense in Kansas City is T.J. Watt, a linebacker out of Wisconsin.
Yes, the obvious question that needs to be answered is that he is J.J. Watt‘s and Derek Watt‘s little brother and is now the third Watt brother to make the jump to the NFL.
COMBINE RESULTS (* indicates top performer)
- 40-Yard Dash – 4.69 seconds
- Bench Press – 21 reps
- Vertical Jump – 37.0 inches*
- Broad Jump – 128.0 inches*
- 3-Cone Drill – 6.79 seconds*
- 20-Yard Shuttle – 4.13 seconds*
- 60-Yard Shuttle – 11.20 seconds*
T.J. Watt has decided to forego his senior season and enter the draft, which was a nice decision. The Badger notched 11.5 sacks during 2016 and had 63 total tackles (15.5 for loss). He returned an interception for a touchdown, defended four passes, forced two fumbles, and recovered a fumble.
Simply put – T.J. Watt had an excellent season that will propel him as an early round pick.
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The most impressive part about Watt’s college career is that he went from about a zero during his sophomore season in 2015 to a ten last year. His one full productive season proved that he can put together a nice season.
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That could also, however, be a knock on him, as he hasn’t consistently put up these stats at a big time level.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com (linked above under Combine results) had this to say about Watt,
"A long-limbed effort rusher who posted impressive numbers against the run and pass in just one year as a starter. He is a tireless worker who pursues from snap to whistle and his brother, J.J., will be a tremendous resource for technique and pass-rush plan. While he is unlikely to win a race to the edge, he’s a plus run defender who can get to the quarterback with plus hand work and relentless effort."
What I like about T.J. Watt is that he could fill two big needs for the KC Chiefs: stopping the run and pressuring the quarterback. His 11.5 sacks would have been the best on Kansas City’s team last year and the Chiefs need someone dominant like that on their defense if they want to compete for a Super Bowl.
Ben Almquist has Watt as someone to watch out for in the second round of the draft on his big board. I would love to stack up on defense early, and T.J. Watt would be an excellent choice early in the 2017 NFL Draft.