When the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Ryan Watts in the 2024 NFL Draft, the graphic that showed on the big screen listed Watts as a cornerback. After all, that’s primarily what he played at Ohio State and Texas. However, when the Steelers posted the pick on Twitter/X, they listed Watts as a defensive back both in the message and in the accompanying graphic.
People naturally questioned what position Watts would play with the Steelers. After all, the team needed (and you can argue still does need) help at the cornerback position. Yet Watts does not possess all of the natural athletic traits of an outside cornerback. But could he be a matchup defender who is able to cover bigger wide receivers and tight ends while also providing good support against the run?
“I was a big fan of Ryan Watts,” Emory Hunt said on Monday’s episode of the College Draft Podcast with Ross Tucker. “I know he played corner… But I thought he was more of a safety, more of a combo safety. I graded him as a combo safety, he was my number three combo safety. He’s a big, physical player. He’s 6-2, 208, and he can match up versus the bigger wide receivers.”
The Steelers have been attempting to create a “big nickel” package where they can utilize three safeties at the same time without sacrificing pass coverage or run defense. Perhaps that’s what the team intends to groom Watts into being. He obviously has the experience covering wide receivers but has some physical limitations that might keep him from playing outside corner full-time.
Hunt thinks one of those limitations is precisely why the Steelers were able to get him where they did.
“It’s the smaller, quicker [wide receivers] that tend to give him a little bit of conflict,” Hunt said. “Him going in Round 6 I thought was probably because of what he ran in the 40-yard dash. But outside of that, he can match up against those receivers, match up against those athletic tight ends. I thought that was a really good pickup for Pittsburgh.”
The Steelers could really use a defender who would help handle the bigger receivers and tight ends in the AFC and the AFC North in particular. Cincinnati Bengals wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are both at least six feet tall and over 200 pounds. Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson’s favorite target is TE Mark Andrews ,who is 6-5 and 247 pounds. There are plenty of big, physical targets in the division and across the rest of the league.
It’s a lot to hope that Watts is able to carve out a role covering big receiving threats immediately. But the potential is certainly there. Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin sees that ability in Watts as well. If Watts can show he can do that job at the NFL level, he will prove to be a phenomenal pick in the sixth round.
You can watch Tucker and Hunt discuss the entire AFC North draft class and more thoughts on the Steelers in particular below:
