Blake Watson did himself plenty of good with the way he played last season.
Watson transferred to Memphis from Old Dominion for his final collegiate season. He was great for ODU during his time there but upped his game a little bit during his lone season with the Tigers. In 2023, Watson rushed for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns.
The 5-foot-9, 195-pound back hasn’t been high on draft boards at all, but certainly turned some heads with what he’s been able to do after the season.
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Showing Out in All-Star Games
Watson has done what he can to take advantage of opportunities to increase his draft stock. After being named the Hula Bowl MVP in January, he was invited to participate in the East-West Shrine Bowl and made his presence felt there, as well.
He finished with 46 rushing yards and 65 receiving yards.
Experienced Back
Not only did Watson show his skills in the Shrine Bowl, but he also provided a glimpse of how smart he can be on the field:
The move generated a little bit of backlash because he chose not to score in an all-star game, but who knows, this is probably something some scouts and NFL personnel wouldn’t mind seeing.
Watson also spent five years at the college level and played in two of the top Group of Five conferences in the country — the AAC and the Sun Belt.
Though it might not all be from his experience, I’m sure it has helped develop Watson into the patient runner that he is. His patience and vision are arguably his biggest strengths. He waits for running lanes to open and has the vision and feel to know when and where to hit them.
This is when Watson’s quickness comes into play, which is another one of his strengths. That ability to move north and south, matched with his lateral ability, often has Watson picking up big chunks and getting to the second level. Watson’s 6.0 yards per carry ranked third in the conference.
The Queens, New York, product also possesses the ability to get out of the backfield and be effective in the passing game. He has great hands and a great feel for finding ways to get open. Last season, he caught 53 passes for 480 yards and three scores.
Below-Average Measurements
Watson simply isn’t the most physically gifted back. His height, weight, hands, and wingspan all rank in the 25th percentile or lower.
But that’s OK. What he lacks in size, he makes up for with his skillset.
Something else that could be considered a weakness of Watson is he doesn’t have great breakaway speed to escape the backend of defenses, which is unfortunate because he has all the tools to get there. Watson’s 40-yard time is 4.5 seconds, which is fairly average.
Blake Watson Draft Projection
Many mock drafts have Watson falling all the way to the seventh round and some even have him going undrafted. However, this might be a little too low for a guy of Watson’s caliber — especially in this draft that isn’t strong at at the running back spot. I think he’s more of a top fifth-round selection, at the very least.
Watson has a lot of Kyren Williams in him, and the 2022 late fifth-round selection had a breakout year for the LA Rams, rushing for 1,144 yards and 12 TDs.
Don’t be surprised if Watson has some sort of the same breakout a couple of years into his career.
