With Pick 34 in the Draft GB Selects WR Christian Watson

Mark87

Carpe Diem
Admin
Moderator
Messages
10,613
Reaction score
12,423
Website
wisconsinsportstalk.net
* 2022 Reese's Senior Bowl
* 2021 HERO Sports All-America First Team (WR)
* 2021 Associated Press All-America Second Team (WR)
* 2021 Stats Perform All-America Second Team (AP)
* 2021 Phil Steele All-America Third Team (WR)
* 2020-21 Associated Press All-America First Team (AP)
* 2020-21 Stats Perform All-America First Team (KR)
* 2020-21 HERO Sports All-America First Team (KR)
* 2020-21 Athlon Sports All-America First Team (KR)
* 2020-21 Phil Steele All-America First Team (KR)
* 2021 All-MVFC First Team (AP)
* 2020-21, 2021 All-MVFC First Team (WR)
* 2020-21 All-MVFC Second Team (RS)
* 2019 All-MVFC Second Team (WR)
* 2020-21 MVFC Offensive Player of the Week
* 2018 MVFC Honor Roll


Three-year starting wide receiver and two-year FCS All-American...Five-time All-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection over his final three seasons...Part of four MVFC and NCAA championship teams in five years...Explosive playmaker responsible for 57 plays that went 20-plus yards on 180 career rushing, receiving and return attempts (32%)...Finished No. 4 in NDSU history averaging 20.38 yards per reception and 26.38 yards per kickoff return...Ranked eighth in school history with 2,140 receiving yards and 10th with 105 receptions...Also ranked ninth in Bison history with 686 kickoff return yards and tied the school record with two kickoff return touchdowns, both during his junior year of 2020-21...Played in 11 NCAA playoff games, making 21 receptions for 378 yards and one touchdown with 633 all-purpose yards.

2021 SEASON (SENIOR): First team All-America wide receiver by HERO Sports...Second team All-America wide receiver by Associated Press and all-purpose player by Stats Perform...Third team All-America wide receiver by Phil Steele...Earned two spots on the All-Missouri Valley Football Conference first team as a wide receiver and all-purpose player...Led the Bison with 43 receptions for 801 yards and seven touchdowns...Second in the MVFC averaging 18.6 yards per reception...Also carried 15 times for 114 yards and one TD...Finished with 1,142 all purpose yards...Averaged 22.7 yards per kickoff return with a season-long of 48 yards...Five receptions and a career-high 163 receiving yards including an 85-yard touchdown in the homecoming win over Northern Iowa...That was one of four TD catches of 65-plus yards during the season...Had his fourth career 100-yard receiving game two weeks later with four catches for 106 yards and one score against Missouri State...Played in 12 of 15 games, missing all three preliminary round playoff games before returning for the FCS national championship win over Montana State, where he had four catches for 61 yards.

2020-21 SEASON (JUNIOR): First team All-America kickoff returner by The Associated Press, Stats Perform, HERO Sports, Athlon Sports and Phil Steele...All-Missouri Valley Football Conference first team wide receiver and second team return specialist...Only player in the FCS to score two kickoff return touchdowns during the season, tying the NDSU single-season and career records...Averaged 33.8 yards on 10 kickoff returns and led the Bison with 896 all-purpose yards...Played in all 10 games including eight starts at wide receiver...NDSU's leading receiver with 19 catches for 442 yards and one TD...MVFC Offensive Player of the Week on April 11 following the Northern Iowa game, where he accounted for 229 all-purpose yards including a 100-yard kickoff return TD...Caught two passes for 86 yards including a long of 61 yards in the final minute of the first half that set up an NDSU field goal...His 25-yard reception on third-and-8 extended a touchdown scoring drive in the fourth quarter of the 23-20 win at UNI...Scored on a 94-yard kickoff return in the NCAA quarterfinal game at Sam Houston.

2019 SEASON (SOPHOMORE): All-Missouri Valley Football Conference second team wide receiver...Played in all 16 games including 11 starts...NDSU's leading receiver with 34 catches for 732 yards and six touchdowns...Ranked third in the MVFC for receiving yards and was second in yards per reception (21.53)...Caught at least one pass in 13 of 16 contests...Third on the team with 964 all-purpose yards...Had at least 100 all-purpose yards in four of the final seven games...Made four receptions for a career-high 121 yards against Western Illinois...Career-high seven receptions in the NCAA quarterfinal win over Illinois State totaling 107 yards...Scored touchdowns on back-to-back offensive plays in the NCAA semifinal victory with a 75-yard reception and 70-yard rush bookending a Montana State three-and-out and breaking open a 7-7 game early in the second quarter...Went without a catch in the NCAA championship win over James Madison, but was part of a fake reverse handoff that fellow receiver Phoenix Sproles scored on from 38 yards and put NDSU ahead for good early in the second quarter.

2018 SEASON (FRESHMAN): Played in 14 games including a pair of starts against Northern Iowa and Montana State...Caught nine passes for 165 yards...Longest play went for 48 yards against Southern Illinois...Made a reception in eight different games including two catches in the NCAA semifinal win over South Dakota State...Had two kick returns for 36 yards against Missouri State and 15 yards against Southern Illinois...Named to the Missouri Valley Football Conference Honor Roll.

2017 SEASON (REDSHIRT): Sat out the entire season as a redshirt in the Bison program...Traveled to Eastern Washington, but did not play.

HIGH SCHOOL: 2017 graduate of H.B. Plant High School...Two-year letterman for coach Robert Weiner...Played wide receiver and safety...Averaged 17.1 yards per catch with eight receiving TDs and 587 all-purpose yards his senior year...Part of a 13-1 state runner-up team in 2016...Also competes in track and field...Honor roll student.

PERSONAL: Graduated from NDSU in December 2021 with a degree in university studies...Son of Tim and Christa Watson...Father played at Howard University and was a safety in the NFL for the Chiefs, Giants and Eagles from 1993 to 1997...Has one brother, Tre, who played linebacker at the University of Illinois and University of Maryland...Also has a sister, Lexi, and two half-sisters, Bella and Aubrey.
 
I like the player but not the cost they paid to get him. Vikings bent GB over on desperate team to move up to get a WR.
 
Not a fan of the cost either, but if they thought he was the best remaining, I'm fine with it.

If I recall correctly a lot of fans thought the Packers got fleeced by the Pats to get the pick that got them Clay Matthews. A year later, nobody cared that they over-paid.

My only pause on Watson is from this blurb I read about him:

Watson’s hands aren’t great, and it showed up on tape. To be fair, he did show improvement over the years. He had an abysmal 28% drop rate in 2020 but improved that to a 10% drop rate in 2021. That still isn’t great, but at least it’s an improvement. Nevertheless, drops are a concern for Watson.

Hopefully he gets that worked out or he will remind me too much of MVS.
 
Just got home. What did they give up?
 
Tim Watson Christian Watson father was drafted by Packers in 1993.
 
I'm going to reserve judgement on this one. I'm not convinced he was worth the trade up to be honest. But, we're going to find out in camp. Based on what I saw happening just before us in the draft, I kind of feel he would have been there for us when we got to those two picks they surrendered.

I think they were blinded by the blood line to be honest. Sometimes those drafting think they're dealing in thoroughbreds for the Kentucky Derby.
 
Back
Top