From now until the 2024 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Texas defensive back Ryan Watts.
#6 RYAN WATTS, DB, TEXAS — 6027, 208 pounds (Senior)
Event Name
-2024 East-West Shrine Bowl, 2024 NFL Scouting Combine
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Ryan Watts | 6027, 208 | 9 3/8″ | 34 1/2″ | 81 3/4″ |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 4.53 | 1.55 | 4.13 | 6.82 | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 10’5″ | 40.5″ | DNP |
The Good
-Great size and length for the cornerback position
-Arm length stands out on tape; able to get his hands on receivers early and often
-Plays with good physicality for the position; sound tackler overall who packs a punch at point of contact
-Length, size allow him to stack and shed blockers on perimeter to make plays downhill
-Testing numbers rather impressive for a defensive back his size
-Able to stick in man coverage and change directions quickly; loose lower half that functions very well on an island
-Has good awareness in zone coverage to break off and drive on the football
-Motor runs hot consistently; will allow him to carve out role on special teams right away
The Bad
-Long speed a concern; struggled to stick and make plays downfield in coverage
-Struggles to track and find the football in the air when working downfield
-Receivers had far too much success against him catching the football last season (73% completion percentage)
-Ball skills are severely lacking; puts himself in position to make plays but doesn’t finish on the ball
-Doesn’t seem to have full grasp/understanding when it comes to route recognition
-Has a bad habit of leaving his feet as a tackler, which could cost him at the next level
-Profiles better as a box safety than corner at the next level
Bio
-Played in 24 games, starting 23 the last two seasons, at Texas following transfer from Ohio State
-Played in 19 games at Ohio State in two seasons before transferring
-Finished career at Texas with 89 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, seven pass breakups
-Had two interceptions in 2021 at Ohio State
-Named Big 12 Defensive Newcomer Player of the Year in 2022 at Texas
-Competed in the 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl in Dallas
-Chose Ohio State over the likes of Notre Dame, Texas, Texas A&M, Washington, and Oklahoma
-Grew up in Dallas, starring at Little Elm High School
-Four-star recruit and the No. 18 safety in the country coming out of high school
Tape Breakdown
Versatility seems to be the name of the game in today’s NFL. The more hats you can wear, the better your chances are of not only sticking in the NFL, but carving out an important role, too.
Fortunately for Texas defensive back Ryan Watts, he has that versatility feather in his cap.
Coming out of high school in Dallas as a four-star recruit at safety, Watts went to Ohio State and transitioned to cornerback, a position he primarily played throughout his time in Columbus and then in Austin with the Longhorns. While he was mostly a cornerback, he had some snaps at safety and even worked there during the East-West Shrine Bowl in Dallas in January.
With his size (6027, 208 pounds) and physicality, not to mention his eye-opening length, Watts could be that hybrid-type defensive back who could handle an outside or slot role in the NFL, while having that safety ability as well.
The tape at corner during his time at Texas is solid, though there are some concerns.
While at Texas, Watts played in a scheme that was quarters heavy. He was very comfortable in zone coverage, allowing him to read and react, often driving downhill to make a play.
He read this play perfectly against Kansas State, jumping the corner route to the tight end.
Watts does everything well, jumping the route and going up to try and high-point the football. But he doesn’t finish the play.
The ability to read and react quickly is there, and he is able to close a lot of ground in a hurry, but the ball skills are severely lacking.
At the same time too, he can get a bit lost in space, like he did here against Wyoming.
Yes, it’s a bit of a broken play, but he loses feel for where the receiver is, allowing him to slide behind him down the field, opening up the window for the Wyoming quarterback to make a throw for a nice gain.
You can see Watts believes the receiver is still to his outside along the boundary, but when he glances again, the receiver isn’t there, throwing Watts into a bit of a frenzy. By that point, it’s too late.
There is quite a bit to like with Watts though, especially his length and ability to chew up ground with his long strides in coverage.
Great play here against Alabama last season on the road.
He’s not fooled by the double move and is stride for stride with the receiver. He does leave his feet a bit early to try and make a play on the ball, but overall it’s a terrific play in coverage, Watts breaking up the pass in the end zone.
That length is certainly tantalizing.
What I like most about Watts though is the physicality he plays with.
It pops off the tape, pun intended.
Great effort here to get off the block on the boundary and then drop the hammer coming downhill against Alabama on the screen, letting the running back know about it after the play, too.
Watts plays with a clear edge to his game and loves contact, especially working downhill. It’s all over his tape.
Yes, he’s going to give up some completions in off-man. But what he does well is fly downhill and make the stop for a short gain.
Watts had just one missed tackle last season, which is rather impressive in the wide-open Big 12.
But even with that physicality and the tendency to come downhill and dish out punishment, the concerns about long speed and the struggles finding the football in the air are a real concern with Watts.
He is slow to get his head around to find the football, which leads to some long completions into tight windows against him.
That’s the next step in his development at the cornerback position, should he stick there.
Against Washington in the College Football Playoff semifinal, Watts really struggled on the vertical shots taken by the Huskies.
His long speed wasn’t the issue then, but his inability to locate the football in the air and make a play at the catch point cost him multiple times.
That’s something that whichever team drafts him will have to work on with him right away.
He has all the pieces to the puzzle, but he hasn’t put it all together just yet.
Conclusion
After watching Watts up close and in person at the Shrine Bowl in Dallas in January, I was a bit underwhelmed, especially with his move to safety. But then, when I put on the tape at Texas last season, I came away rather intrigued. He has great size for the cornerback position and could without a doubt handle an every-down role as a box safety in the NFL.
He tested off the charts for his size, too, earning a 9.84 RAS from Kent Lee Platte.
The concerns with the long speed at corner and the struggles to find and track the ball in the air in coverage are real, but his physicality, length and experience at two major programs are very intriguing overall and warrant a flyer on Day 3 of the NFL draft. At worst, he’s a longer-term special teams contributor who can provide depth in the secondary.
Projection: Mid-Day 3 (5th Round)
Depot Draft Grade: 6.7 Backup/Special Teamer
Games Watched: Alabama (2023), Wyoming (2023), Baylor (2023), Kansas State (2023), Washington (2023)
