Fantasy Football

Christian Watson

WR - GB

Height:

Weight: lbs

Age: --

College: North Dakota State

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2022 Season Outlooks

The Packers had such a strong evaluation on Watson that they traded multiple picks to secure him near the top of Day 2 in the 2022 NFL Draft. It's easy to see why: Watson chews up ground with his ridiculously long stride length and blazing straight-line speed. He also played in an offense in college that used him on jet sweeps and in pre-snap motion -- very similar to the offense the Packers run under Matt LaFleur. Most believe Watson could carve out a similar role to Marquez Valdes-Scantling as a rookie, but that's doing a disservice to Watson as a prospect. His Fantasy ceiling, even as early as 2022, is considerably higher. Expect him to get picked before the end of Round 10 in seasonal leagues and the end of Round 1 in rookie-only drafts.

Here’s what new Packers OC Adam Stenavich said about Watson at rookie minicamp: “His combination of size and speed is great,” Stenavich said. “He's a big guy, he can move, he's going to be a problem once he figures things out.” Note the last part of that quote. There’s no doubt Watson brings long-term intrigue, but his 2022 value figures to be inconsistent given his raw game. Ultimately, he’s not one of our preferred late-round targets.

Watson was selected by Green Bay in the second round of April's draft. The North Dakota State product was one of the biggest winners at the combine, measuring in at 6-foot-4 with 10 1/8-inch hands while showing well in every athletic drill. The latter included a 4.36 40-yard dash and class-best 136-inch broad jump. Watson was utilized in a variety of ways during four seasons at NDSU. He was a vertical threat (career 20.5 YPR on 104 catches), ball carrier (49 carries) and kick returner (27 attempts). He played at a "small" school, but his outstanding combination of size, speed, athleticism and versatility makes him an intriguing prospect. He has a path to an every-down role in an elite Packers' offense, as his top competition is oft-injured Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb and Sammy Watkins, but it may take him a while to earn that role after missing a lot of preseason action. Watson should be on your radar in the late rounds.

Historically, rookie wide receivers have found little success with Aaron Rodgers. The best season a rookie wide receiver has ever had with Rodgers was was Marquez Valdes-Scantling who amassed just 581 yards on 36 receptions in 2018. However, rookie wide receivers have always come into situations where there was a clearcut WR1, so no one has ever been in a position where they were required to step up. Christian Watson was selected in the second round of the NFL Draft. He's a stellar athlete, but still a bit rough around the edges. He's got blazing speed and can do a lot with the ball in his hands, but struggles with concentration issues. He didn't amass a lot of stats at on a run-first NDSU team, but his potential jumps off the screen when watching him. His range of outcomes is very wide this year. He can be anything from a developmental player on the sidelines to the team's WR1.