#138 5th Round Pat Watkins S FSU

[JohnsKey19]

Assuming he's not a complete bust, at least this guy can be a deep zone FS in the nickel or dime packages on obvious passing downs. He doesn't have to be a starter to make an impact.

 

[JonJon]

Great pick, very excited with this draft.

Only wonder why he fell so far

Some scouting sites have said that he struggled in his senior season which caused his stock to drop. Everyone projected him as a top 50 pick last year though.

 

[Da Hammer]

AWESOME!!! What a steal we got in the 5th round and i hope he starts from Day 1

 

[alancdc]

Street and Smith has one scout that said "If he can add a little weight and strength, he has THE TOOLS TO BE A STAR!" Has size long arms, and will go up and get the ball! Love the pick!

 

[Strong]

On the ticket (on the web to VA), Goose just said that the one reason he fell was he was viewed as being too tall to maneuver around with the small fast receivers. 6' 4" + is pretty much unheard of for FS. I hope he proves those experts wrong.

Strong.

 

[Dale]

About time they got an actual need

Three of our top five picks will be competing for starting jobs, with Carpenter and Fasano all but guaranteed starting positions. And Green could very well prove to be our primary return man.

I'd say we filled some needs there.

 

[Chief]

I think people got tired of me talking about this guy in the chat yesterday. I called him a bigger, faster Michael Downs.

He was one of my favorite players in the draft and it's stunning that he fell this far.

I'll be interested to find out why.

 

[Hailmary]

I think he's a project and will need a year to develop. I like the pick. Day two's all about raw ability and potential. He's definitely got raw ability.

I think a successful season for him, if he makes the squad, is for him to come in on 3rd and longs starting sometime during midseason and make sure he doesn't let anyone get behind him.

Any mention of how his hands are? W/ his size and speed, I think he might be a worthwhile project as a WR if the coaching staff realizes early on that he won't make it as a FS. JMO.

As of now, he reminds me of Pete Hunter.

 

[Hailmary]

On the ticket (on the web to VA), Goose just said that the one reason he fell was he was viewed as being too tall to maneuver around with the small fast receivers. 6' 4" + is pretty much unheard of for FS. I hope he proves those experts wrong.

Strong.

6'4" 210 4.44 would make a hell of a WR.

 

[zrinkill]

41" vertical ..... and coming in with a chip on his shoulder to prove himself.


I like this.

 

[AmishCowboy]

Yeah, Mike Downs is a good Comparison.

 

[twa]

His technigue combined with his hieght (which hurts change of direction) likely caused the drop...I am thrilled with him @ 5,he has ALL the tools to be the FS we need.

 

[Jay9508]

 

[Bizwah]

I think people got tired of me talking about this guy in the chat yesterday. I called him a bigger, faster Michael Downs.

He was one of my favorite players in the draft and it's stunning that he fell this far.

I'll be interested to find out why.

It seems that when there's a guy that doesn't quite fit the mold, they tend to drop.

I can't remember a 6-5 safety. But his shuttle time is better than a lot of CBs...including Jimmy Williams.

 

[jterrell]

He was the best ST coverage guy at FSU which is saying something.

He is gonna need a year in a system to really excel but basically was the best athlete around even at FSU.

I like that he is considered a WR prospect which tells us he has some hands.

My guess is what the Dallas coaching staff will tell you he needs to develop is not his coverage abilities but his tackling. BP expects very sure tacklers at FS and Watkins was not a guy who played that RW/ Keith Davis style attack and destroy type ball. He was more of what we all seem to want at FS, an eraser of deep pass attempts.

Interesting to draft a guy with his experience level playing in a major conference and talk about development but it is what it is. I do think he can play in the NFL after watching him at least 10 games over a couple of years. He is certainly not Michael Huff but he could be as good as any of the round 3 Safeties.

 

[RealCowboyfan]

Pat Watkins

Height:: 6-4
Weight:: 211
40 Yard Dash:: 4.40 updated!!!
Verticle Jump:: 42
NFL Comparison:: Marcus Coleman, Texans

Strengths: Is tall with a long wingspan. Is a presence in the red n>zone when defending fade patterns against larger receivers. Is great in zone coverage; can cover ground with long strides. Has great recovery speed and can chase down receivers from behind. Has good ball skills. Recognizes and reads routes well. Is a prototypical deep defender; doesn't let receivers get behind him.

Weaknesses: Must add bulk; is not a presence in run support. Struggles to get off blocks in the box. Gets outmuscled at the point of attack. Must improve his man-to-man coverage skills. Struggles when close to the line of scrimmage; cannot re-route or jam defenders.

Bottom line: Defenders of Watkins’ size rarely run and change directions smoothly. He must get bigger before he can contribute as an every-down defender, but he can play in red zone packages and in zone coverage schemes. He should be selected in the middle of Day 1.

Profile::
http://www.fftoolbox.com/nfl_draft/p...rospect_ID=496
http://seminoles.collegesports.com/s...ins_pat01.html

Everything including articles::

http://floridastate.rivals.com/cview...asp?Player=387

Highlights:: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/prospects?sort=position&rank_type=2

 

[StylisticS]

Draft is turning into a pretty good one.:starspin

 

[VoR]

Bet Roy Williams loves to hear this:



Maybe we can finally find our man that lets Roy concentrate on what he does best.

According to Opie " Mark Mosley" he's going to be a backup SS to Roy.:laugh2:
http://fromthescene.beloblog.com/
"Watkins will compete with last year's sixth-round pick, Justin Beriault, for a backup role to Roy Williams. He was available here because he struggles in coverage, which makes him a great fit behind Williams."

 

[Deep_Freeze]

Pat Watkins

Height:: 6-4
Weight:: 211
40 Yard Dash:: 4.40 updated!!!
Verticle Jump:: 42
NFL Comparison:: Marcus Coleman, Texans

Real interesting that they compare him to Coleman, lol. He is real long, hopefully he can develop his man skills this year and be our starting FS in the future.

 

[Cowboysguy]

More info on Watkins from ESPN Insider:
Strengths: Has ideal instincts, range and ball skills as a centerfielder-type FS. He is tall with decent bulk and the frame to get bigger. Possesses very good speed for the position. He is a smooth athlete for a taller DB. Has adequate hip fluidity and COD skills. He is a long-strider that shows closing burst when the ball is in the air. Has good leaping ability, long arms and times his jumps well. He has big hands and excellent ball skills. He defends the jump ball very well and does a great job of adjusting to the ball in the air. He has added a good amount of weight and has gotten noticeably stronger over the course of the last two years. He isn't a big-hitter or overly aggressive player, but he is willing. He wraps up in space and shows good body control as an open-field tackler. He has a real nose for the ball. Has a knack for forcing and recovering fumbles. He's a hard worker who should continue to improve with experience and time in the weight-room.

Weaknesses: He is getting bigger but still lacks ideal bulk. Also needs to improve his overall strength. He has decent power in his upper body but lacks the lower body strength and base to take on bigger blockers in the phone booth. He has a tendency to come out of his pedal high and will struggle to transition quickly enough when forced to turn and run. He is far more effective in deep zone coverage than he is when matched up one-on-one Can still improve his recognition skills and diagnose things quicker, which should come with more experience. He's not an overly vocal leader and he needs to do a better job of being the "quarterback of the secondary".

Overall: Watkins played some as a sub-package defensive back as a freshman in 2002 and became a consistent contributor in the nickel and dime packages as a sophomore in 2003 before beating out B.J. Ward for the starting FS job as a junior in 2004. Watkins started all 12 games at FS in 2004 and finished with 56 tackles, including four for losses, four INTs and 10 PBU. He also forced two fumbles and recovered two fumbles. Watkins is on the lean side and he isn't an overly powerful player in run support. However, he is a tall centerfielder-type with very good range in deep coverage. He continues to get bigger and has the frame to pack on more pounds, which will help him match up better at the point of attack vs. blockers and bigger ball carriers. However, Watkins is a fine open-field tackler at this point and he is a playmaker in all aspects of the game. Watkins is likely to come off the 2006 draft board by the end of Day 1.