2018 NFL Draft: Armani Watts the most underrated defensive player in this class
It can be hard for NFL teams to find safety talent in the mid to later rounds of the 2018 NFL Draft. Someone needs to look the direction of Armani Watts.
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Texas A&M football loses the biggest piece of their secondary, and possibly their entire defense, entering 2018 with the departure of standout safety Armani Watts. He’ll join a loaded class of safeties for the 2018 NFL Draft including Alabama Crimson Tide product Minkah Fitzpatrick and Florida State Seminoles product Derwin James.
While both Fitzpatrick and James should be guaranteed top 20 picks in the first round, Watts likely does not have the same outlook. According to Walter Football, Watts falls more into the category of the third-fifth round pick.
In that region of the 2018 NFL Draft, Watts would be in the same realm as other safeties like Kyzir White of the West Virginia Mountaineers and Marcus Allen of the Penn State Nittany Lions. Since this is a very top-heavy safety class, some teams should really focus on the steals of the later rounds.
Strengths
That’s where the value of Watts really comes into play. He showed during his tenure in College Station that he has the proven ability to lead a defense. Watts is also the type of personality that can bring cohesion to any group of defensive backs, and that should translate to the NFL.
One instance of Watts’ leadership and clutch ability that came to fruition last year was in an early season overtime win against the Arkansas Razorbacks. Watts picked off Arkansas’ senior quarterback Austin Allen to seal the victory for the Aggies.
During the 2017 campaign, Watts set career highs in interceptions, tackles for loss, and forced fumbles. Watts was always underrated in terms of his overall versatility. He can truly provide help to a defense in a multitude of different ways.
Weaknesses
A few issues that teams will look at with Watts includes his man coverage abilities and size. At 5-foot-11, Watts is not the biggest safety in this class, and he was exposed in coverage at times last season. And, since he did not run at the NFL Combine, teams might question that come draft time too.
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Draft expectations
The parts of his game that NFL teams cannot question includes his awareness, instincts, and versatility. All those abilities are tough to find and develop quickly at the NFL level. That’s why Watts is such a valuable prospect that needs to garner more attention leading up to the 2018 NFL Draft.