Player: WR Quez Watkins
Stock Value: Purchased
Reasoning: The Steelers haven’t yet officially signed WR Quez Watkins, but the contract shouldn’t tip the scales. A 2020 sixth-round pick, he has 98 career catches in 49 games played, with a limited arsenal despite elite speed. Thus far, his production does not match his playing time, and he is not a lock to make the 53-man roster come September.
Since the Steelers traded starting WR Diontae Johnson, they signed veterans Van Jefferson and Quez Watkins. At least, they’ve already signed Jefferson, and they’ve agreed to terms with Watkins, which is not yet official. Given that general manager Omar Khan himself said it, however, we can safely assume it’s a matter of time.
But does it really make a difference? He has one defining trait, which is his sub-4.4 speed, and he does flash it on the field every now and then. However, his limited route tree, muted nuance, and lack of consistent effort all raise flags. He’s had the occasional ill-timed drop in his career, but it’s not an overarching concern up to this point.
One ability he shows is the capacity to play in the slot, which the Steelers have needed for a while. They’ve also lacked for true elite speed generally and in the slot specifically, which is a niche he fills. But he needs to make the roster first.
And he needs to make the roster as a pass catcher because that’s all he brings to the table. He has no special teams value worth mentioning—his limited kick return work is dismal—and he’s an unwilling blocker.
A route-running savant he is not, additionally, though to his credit he shows an understanding of how to operate scramble drills. On top of that, he has decent play strength when he shows a propensity to actually use it.
Still, Watkins as a top-three receiver on your team is not a strong group. The Steelers have George Pickens, but that’s really it. Calvin Austin III is another holdover, and they added Jefferson, but this really only tides one over until the draft. They need to draft at least one immediate contributor at the position, and possibly still add a more meaningful veteran.
As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs, or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.
A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game, or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.
