Christian Watson Is An Option For Dallas In Round One

In the 2021 season, the Dallas Cowboys had one of the best wide receiver groups in the entire NFL. Former first-round pick Ceedee Lamb took steps forward and established himself as one of the best young wideouts in the league. Amari Cooper was his usual self with 865 yards in fifteen games. Cedrick Wilson and Michael Gallup combined for over 1,000 receiving yards as well to help round out the Dallas passing attack.

Then turnover came in the off-season. WIth both Gallup and Wilson scheduled to be free agents, it was expected that Lamb and Cooper would be running the show. However, Dallas had different ideas as Gallup was re-signed early in the free agency process. This was followed by trading Cooper to Cleveland. Wilson would sign with the Dolphins eventually.

Now with both Wilson and Cooper gone, the Cowboys could use some more help at the receiver spot. While they did sign former Steelers receiver James Washington, he is mostly unproven at this point. Picking at 24 in April’s draft, they are in a prime position to add a major talent at the position if they so choose.

Christian Watson can be the answer

Hailing from North Dakota State University, Watson was a four-year contributor for the Bison. He save the best for last however as he had 800 receiving yards and seven touchdowns during his senior season. Heading into the draft in April, Watson is known for his tantalizing combination of height, weight, and speed.

At the NFL Scouting Combine, Watson further raised his stock by proving his elite athletic ability. With a 40-yard dash time of 4.36 and a 38.5-inch vertical jump, he was one of the event’s biggest winners. Projected by many to be a late first-round pick, his performance at the annual event only confirmed that.

Not likely to go high in the first round as he is still a relatively raw player who played against lower competition. For Dallas, they are picking in a prime position to select Watson. With Lamb and Gallup already in tow, they can afford to be patient with him as well. However, the potential is certainly there for him to be a contributor from day one. Wide receiver might not be the Cowboys’ biggest need, but they can lock the position up for the next several years by selecting Watson.

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8 Comments

VAM 4 years ago

Don't think they go WR in first rd. Need line help first, can get good WR later, IMO. 24 Kenyon Green G, Texas A&M 56 Travis Jones DT, UConn 88 Tyreke Smith DE, Ohio St 129 Alex Pierce WR, Cinn 155 Bryan Cook S, Cinn 167 Dare Rosenthal OT, Kentucky 176 Mykael Wright CB, Oregon 178 Tyler Allgeier RB, BYU 193 Bailey Zappe QB, W Kentucky
1. Cowboys fan 4 years ago
  
  I don't think Tyreke Smith will go that early, he's not a bad player, but I've never seen him go before the 5th round in every mock draft I've seen!! And most of his scouting reports have him going early in the 5th round too!! And there's no way Alec Pierce makes it to the 4th round.... Teams will be lucky if he makes it out of the 2nd round, he's projected to go around 38 in the draft this year!! And Travis Jones.... I'd love to have him, but there's no way we will get him!! I've seen him go as early as the late 1st round, and he hasn't fell to 56 since the senior bowl.... He's projected to go in the 2nd round, but no later than the early 40s!! And then there's Bailey Zappe.... He's not gonna fall to the 6th round!! That guy broke records for single season passing yards and touchdowns.... I'm not saying he's a first round talent, but a player like him usually goes before the 6th round!! I haven't seen him fall out of the 4th round yet!! Right now he's ranked between 120 and 127 overall, so I don't see him falling out of the 4th round either!! Even if for some weird reason he does fall out of the 4th round, he definitely won't make it out of the 5th round!! This is a mock draft I just did a minute ago.... R1. OG. Kenyon Green R2. WR. Jalen Tolbert R3. LB. Quay Walker R4. TE. Charlie Kolar R5. OC. Cameron Jurgens R5. S. Markquese Bell R5. Edge. Tyreke Smith R5. OG. Thayer Munford R6. DT. Neil Farrell Jr I was hoping to get DT John Ridgeway in the 5th round, but he ended up getting drafted by the Dolphins in round 4 before I picked Charlie Kolar, so apparently he's climbing up draft boards, but Neil Farrell in the 6th round isn't a bad thing, he's a big bodied DT that can clog the running lanes, he'll only play on obvious run plays, but that's all we really need!! So I can say that if our draft fell this way I'd be happy with it!!
  1. VAM 4 years ago
    
    Used the Draft Network simulator. And based on NEEDS, went with o-line and d-line help EARLY, hence the versatile EDGE T Smith pick, who want last till the fifth. Then the WR. RB is also a position of need as EE appears to be on the downside and TP is going into his final year. These prospects move around somewhat preceding the draft. Zappe and Jones may be moving up recently, but everything is fluid. That's why you see "reaches" and "steals". BTW, I like Ridgeway also.
2. gary b 4 years ago
  
  VAM- I would be happy with that draft. We can’t keep getting dominated on the LOS on both sides of the ball, and expect to be competitive. As always it depends on how the board falls and who is available. Draft day usually comes with several surprises and out of left field picks. I think a LB is a possibility in the 1st or 2nd as well. Dean or Lloyd would fill several needs. Both great pass rushers and good in coverage. Good value for LBs in the 2nd as well. But my preference is IOL/IDL. Gotta take back the LOS.
3. lonewolfz28 4 years ago
  
  BTW, a read by the always reliable K.D. Drummond on the Dallas Cowboys draft commandments: https://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/lists/10-draft-commandments-2022-nfl-draft/ Christian Watson violates several of those commandments...no small school players, 30 official visits, best at his position, and pay attention to the front office interviews. They aren't taking a WR not named Olave or Burks in the 1st round. And even then, there would have to be no other player at the top of their position which also happened to be a position of need for them to go WR. Not very likely, and definitely not Watson.
4. lonewolfz28 4 years ago
  
  Yeah, I don't understand the fascination these writers have with drafting WR's in the 1st. They need a lot of help in the trenches on both sides of the ball. There are quality players that are likely to still be available to fill those needs. Jerry has even indicated that he recognizes that need and that there are options they are looking at. Jerry has tipped their hand in the past. People just didn't take him seriously. Other times, he's been lucky to catch a falling star (Parsons and Lamb). He seems content with Lamb and Gallup at WR. Unless some stellar WR that they had an elite grade on slides to them again, I seriously doubt they go WR in the 1st. Especially not in a draft that is this deep at WR. They'll take the top player at a lesser position before they'll take a 3rd or 4th best player at a "money" position, especially later in the round and if that position is one of need.
TheGadson 4 years ago

No reaches for wide receiver for the need is not desperate. Dallas would be better served with two wideout sets with Elliott and Pollard on the field together as much as possible forcing a linebacker on one of them coming out the backfield. Shore up the middle defensively and offensively.
joe r 4 years ago

DRAFT TO FIX DALLAS24 Round: 1 Cowboys Logo Devin LloydLB | Utah LogoUtah 56 Round: 2 Cowboys Logo Jaquan BriskerS | Penn State LogoPenn State 88 Round: 3 Cowboys Logo Sam WilliamsEDGE | Mississippi LogoMississippi 129 Round: 4 Cowboys Logo John RidgewayDL | Arkansas LogoArkansas 155 Round: 5 Cowboys Logo Cade MaysIOL | Tennessee LogoTennessee 167 Round: 5 Cowboys Logo Kyle PhilipsWR | UCLA LogoUCLA 176 Round: 5 Cowboys Logo Jaylen WatsonCB | Washington State LogoWashington State 178 Round: 5 Cowboys Logo Dare RosenthalOT | Kentucky LogoKentucky 193 Round: 6 Cowboys Logo Micah McFaddenLB | Indiana LogoIndiana

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