The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted DB Ryan Watts out of Texas, selecting him in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft as a defensive back, but the question still remains: what position will he play in the league? He primarily played cornerback in college while at Ohio State and Texas but was recruited out of high school as a safety, where he saw most of his playing time. As of this writing, it sounds like Pittsburgh is open to Watts doing both, as he has seen some time at safety during OTAs but mentioned that cornerback is still an option for him in the league.
Standing at 6027, 208 pounds, Watts has great size for either cornerback or safety. His gangly 34 1/2-inch arms aid in press-man coverage and contest passes at either position. However, one factor of Watts’ game that makes the possible conversion to safety enticing is his capability in run support, which Steelers Depot’s very own Josh Carney highlighted in his scouting report on Watts prior to the draft.
When you pop in the tape on Watts, you see a defensive back that exudes more of the demeanor of a linebacker when it comes to coming downhill and making tackles on ballcarriers. He has no reservations about dropping his shoulder and hitting someone, as you can see in the clip below against Alabama. Watts starts to drop back in coverage against the receiver across from him but sees the quarterback dump off the ball to the running back in the flat. Watts put his foot in the ground to redirect and transition downhill, fighting through the block attempt to stick the runner along the sideline, cutting him down out of bounds for the stop.
Ryan Watts displays not only the willingness to be a capable tackler in run support but also the effectiveness of making tackles in open space. He only missed one tackle all season in 2023 (2.5%) and posted a run defense grade of 79.8, according to Pro Football Focus, ranking him in the top 10 of his position in this draft class. Watch the clips below of Watts making open-field tackles, with the first coming against Kansas State. He transitions from cloud coverage to coming downhill and sticking the runner in the second level, while the second clip comes from the same game with Watts making the stop on the pass catcher in the screen, weaving around blocks as he makes the ankle tackle.
Watts does a good job flowing to the football when not responsible for coverage of the receiver across from him, making him an ideal player who can play near the centerfield of the defense as well as closer to the box, thanks to his size. Check out the clips below of Watts making tackles near the line of scrimmage, with the first coming on TCU QB Max Duggan a season ago as he carries out the option keep, dropping him in the backfield for a loss. The second clip shows Watts operating as a blitzer off the edge, coming off free for a clean shot on Duggan in the pocket, dropping him for the sack.
Given Watts’ previous experience in high school at safety, as well as his strengths as a tackler in run support, transitioning back to safety may be a wise move for Watts when it comes to carving out a career as a defensive back in the NFL. He has shown he can produce at cornerback, but our Josh Carney has noted his lack of ideal long speed at the position, having run a 4.53 40. He also had receivers get on top of him in coverage on several occasions on tape. Pittsburgh has several cornerbacks already on the roster with Watts’ build, but they could use another safety with his skill set with the position room being pretty wide open after Minkah Fitzpatrick, DeShon Elliott, Damontae Kazee, and Miles Killebrew, who is strictly a special teamer.
Ryan Watts has the versatility to play either cornerback or safety. He can also be a contributor on special teams, but his most natural fit on this roster likely would be as a sub-package/backup safety where he can step in if one of Pittsburgh’s top three safeties misses time. He can be a competent tackler who also brings some coverage upside to the position. It’s still early in the process, but the tape, as well as early practice reports, indicate that Pittsburgh may be thinking the same thing with Watts and his position at the NFL level.
