Sammy Watkins
Clemson, WR
Height: 6.1
Weight: 211
40yd: 4.43
Age: 21
| Stats | |||||
| Year | G | Rec | Yd | Avg | TD |
| 2011 | 13 | 82 | 1,219 | 14.9 | 12 |
| 2012 | 10 | 57 | 708 | 12.4 | 3 |
| 2013 | 13 | 101 | 1,464 | 14.5 | 12 |
Strengths:
Is an elite athlete with all the tools of an elite wide receiver. Has phenomenal playing speed for a guy of his size. Has elite burst and can pull away from defenders in a single stride. Shifty and agile with or without the ball in his hands and easily gains separation against college corners. Fluid and flexible, but can still turn on the jets and mix in some savvy. Has insane transition quickness: Is already moving at full speed before the ball gets in his hands on bubble screens and is already outside the tackle box before defenders can react on end-arounds and jet sweeps. Has very good hand strength and quickness to snag errant passes. Reaches off his body and plucks the pass out of the air. Drops are incredibly rare and has exceptional focus to look in passes while turning it on after the catch. Blows through arm tackles and bowls over smaller defenders. Injured a tackler against Maryland in 2013. Packs a lot of strength into a very compact frame. Will lay out for a block when needed. Has breakaway speed to score anywhere on the field and is a dangerous vertical and underneath threat. Has plus value as a return man and shows very good vision. Bounced back well from an injury-plagues sophomore season and topped his phenomenal true freshman season as a junior. Able to produce despite erratic accuracy of his quarterback and masked the deficiencies of Tajh Boyd. Took over the Orange Bowl against Ohio State in his final game with 230 yards on 17 touches and 2 TDs
Weaknesses:
Did not play in a pro-style offense and will need to learn to run more precise routes. Could be more crisp with his cuts. Is a big target as a ballcarrier in the backfield and will likely need to be used sparingly on jet sweeps and lined up in the backfield as he leaves himself susceptible to big heads and will need to be protected from himself behind the line of scrimmage. Can be very demonstrative when overthrown and did not show much respect for his QB while at Clemson. Had a possession-related arrest in 2012 and character will be under some scrutiny.
Red Flags: Minor Character Concerns
Bottom Line: There’s not much to find fault with Watkins’ game that can’t be fixed with coaching and commitment on his part. It’s difficult to communicate just how electric Watkins is without seeing him first hand, especially when it comes to transitioning upfield and can bring instant impact ability to the team that drafts him. Has Hall of Fame potential if he can stay healthy and iron out his few flaws. Is scheme versatile and will make any offensive coordinators job easier.
Comparison: Rich man’s Percy Harvin
Grade: 10.1 (Rare Talent)
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