By Alex Kurtz Sports Editor
The NFL draft is one of the biggest events for football fans during the year. They eagerly wait to see what new player will don their team’s colors and represent them on the field.
For some teams, like the Pittsburgh Steelers or the New England Patriots, it’s where they add onto their already talented roster. For others, it’s where they start to rebuild back into a contender.
Whether your team is dominant or rebuilding, there is one thing that you should know on April 27: Deshaun Watson is legit and about to be the next great starting quarterback no matter who drafts him.
Watson has been a polarizing talent his entire career. Coming out of Gainsville High School in Georgia, he was the top dual-threat QB in the 2014 class and a top-50 player overall. After commiting to Clemson to play under head coach Dabo Swinney, he led his team to two-straight national championship games, the latter of which he won in an instant classic with a touchdown as time expired.
Watson was not just a game-manager, however, as he has impressive stats and acolades as a three-year starter. He was a Heisman Trophy finalist the past two seasons, and won the MVP award for the 2016 National Championship game. He finished his career with over 10,000 passing yards and 116 touchdowns, 90 of which came through the air.
While he does have weaknesses, such as not having the best arm strength, he makes up for it in leadership skills, responsibility and deadly accuracy.
Watson was the no-doubt leader at Clemson all three years, and positively affected everyone of his teammates.
He was a leader, and even managed to graduate with his degree in three years. His control on his throws allow him to play his game around vision, timing, and his anticipation, and it works due to his high football IQ.
On top of this, Watson is one of the most mobile QBs in this year’s draft class. While he’s not an RGIII-polarizing athlete, he can effectively use his legs to extend plays and run if he needs to, much like Seahawks QB Russell Wilson
Few college QBs head to the NFL with his combination of accolades, mental skills and accuracy. I’m predicting that Deshaun Watson will be the next big NFL starting QB.
