The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed Texas defensive back and sixth-round pick Ryan Watts to his four-year rookie contract. Watts was the final of the team’s seven selections in the 2024 NFL Draft. The team announced the signing on Twitter.
Watts’ four-year contract should total out at right around $4,202,684 due to his draft position, per Over The Cap, and include a signing bonus of right around $182,684. Watts’ cap charge for his rookie 2024 season should come in at right around $840,671.
Watts was taken 195th overall as the team’s second of two sixth-round picks, following Iowa DL Logan Lee. With impressive measurables, Watts weighed in at 6027, 208 pounds, and ran a 4.53 40-yard dash. But he checks the boxes with elite arm length, 34 1/2 inches, which appears to be a record for a cornerback dating back to at least 1999. He also jumped 40.5 inches in the vertical with a sleek 6.82 three-cone time.
Beginning his career at Ohio State, he transferred to Texas for his final two college seasons. Production was on the lighter side, recording just six pass breakups and one interception during his time with the Longhorns, and there are concerns about his long speed. Some draftniks believed Watts would need to convert to safety, and he saw reps there during the East-West Shrine Bowl.
Still, Watts has the versatility, size, and profile to carve out a role on special teams as a rookie. He’ll compete with the likes of Darius Rush, Cory Trice Jr., and others for a spot on the 53-man roster.
His 6027 size is rare to find in a Day 3 cornerback, and he’ll join Trice and Joey Porter Jr. as bigger outside corners for the Steelers. The prototype for a bigger cornerback is one the Steelers have looked for in the draft in the past two years, and Watts will look to win a roster spot and add to that mix to provide some mismatches in the secondary.
