Coming out of the University of Texas, rookie defensive back Ryan Watts was viewed as a guy who could potentially move to safety due to his size and physicality.
While he could certainly stick at the cornerback position due to his abilities in press coverage and his ability to defend against the run, a move to safety was ideal for his long-term NFL future.
So far with the Pittsburgh Steelers after being a sixth-round pick, Watts has transitioned to safety and handled it well, putting himself under the wing of veteran safety DeShon Elliott to expedite his learning curve at the position.
On Friday night against the Houston Texans in the Steelers’ preseason opener, Watts had a pretty strong performance in his first game action at safety. He made a couple of plays, handled work near the line of scrimmage well and nearly came down with an interception in the 20-12 loss.
For Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, he’s pleased with the way Watts has taken to the position and what he has put into it. He believes that Watts will be a “pretty good player” for the Steelers “at some point,” even if Watts wasn’t where he was supposed to be at times against the Texans.
“He just looks like a young guy who’s never played safety, but in terms of assignment wise, he wasn’t where he was supposed to be. But the thing I really liked about him was his run and tackle ability. He really showed an appetite for that, and the arrow is pointed up for him,” Austin said of Watts, according to the transcript provided by the team. “For a lot of guys, it’s always an adjustment coming into the league anyway, but he’s coming to the league and changing positions, so he may have a steeper learning curve than others. But I like all the baseline stuff that he has, and he’s a heck of a kid.
“He works his tail off, so I think he’ll get it and end up being a pretty good player for us at some point.”
Going from cornerback to safety might not seem like a big adjustment on paper, but it’s a substantial one due to responsibilities and angles. It’s something that Watts touched on even before being drafted by the Steelers, stating that he knew he could handle a move to safety if needed because he had played the position previously at Ohio State.
Now in Pittsburgh, Watts is taking well to the move and letting his physicality do the talking.
While he might have been out of position a few times Friday night, drawing the ire of Austin, he played well overall. Watts graded out at a 65.8 overall on the night from Pro Football Focus, including a 71.0 again the run and a 59.3 in coverage. Watts allowed just one reception for 9 yards.
He’s still in the midst of his adjustment at the safety position, but the arrow is definitely pointing up for Watts. He’s in a good spot when it comes to competing for a roster spot, and has drawn the praise of Austin, which is promising.
