2013 NFL Draft Day II

[Tenebrous]

In the second round, the Raiders select M. Watson OT.


Note: Tank gone and Teo going to San Diego. Hmm.

[Tenebrous]

Wow, not sure who he is.

[RF34]

Not Barkley. Good

[Tenebrous]

Not Barkley. Good

Lol, good point --

[R8ers4evr]

actually have heard great things of him... heard he was a possible at end of round 1... say hes very raw. only started playing football a few years ago... but he was very good in those few years. very strong. ultra talented. and super athletic...

the only thing that bothers me AT ALL with this pick...... this BETTER not mean we are gonna be cheap with veldheer next year... whether its tell him to take less and hope he does, or simply letting him walk... we better not... Veldheer SHOULD be our LT for the next decade... watson can bookend him at RT... i sure hope so...

[Tenebrous]

So, a 25 year old player with only one season of D-1 experience -- older usually means wiser. May be a good locker-room guy. However, from various scouting reports, he is very raw and needs coaching. Sporano should help. Still not sure how I feel.

[Tenebrous]

Scouting Report:

+Multi-sport athlete with soccer, basketball, and boxing experience
+Strong in both upper and lower bodies with a well-built frame
+Adequate speed to get downfield and make blocks at the second level
+/-Plays with a wide base which aids balance but limits quickness of is kickslide
-Heavy feet with a lack of lateral quickness or change of direction ability, lacks burst off the snap as well
-Lower half struggles to keep up with his upper half athletically

Intelligence/Effort:
-Very inexperienced with only two years under his belt, one of which came at the junior college level
-Occasionally has responsibility lapses or lapses in gap discipline, still learning the game
-Lacks anticipation for the moving parts of a defense and is an overly reactive player as a result
+High effort player who blocks to the whistle with sufficient consistency

Pass Blocking:
+Consistent anchor against the power rush with a strong lower half and a wide base
+Adequate length to extend his arms and negate contact to his body from rushers
-Laborsome kickslide that doesn’t cover ground quickly and involves heavy motion of his arms
-Will overextend against speed rushers and leave himself vulnerable to up and under moves
-Prone to giving up the corner after being engaged first, feet stop while engaged and struggles to redirect to quick movement of rushers
-Delayed reactions to stunts and blitzes when forced to redirect to oncoming defenders

Run Blocking:
+Can drop his pads and drive block to create movement up front
+Natural feel for combo blocking and a handful for most linebackers at the second level
-Struggles to cross the face of defenders when asked to work laterally in zone concepts
+/-Often gives a strong initial pop as a downfield blocker instead of driving legs through contact and sustaining
-Defenders allowed to slide off his blocks too easily, finishes blocks very infrequently
-Plagued by indecisiveness as a space blocker

Technique:
+Utilizes a strong upper body to jolt defenders a powerful first punch
-Struggles to sustain blocks even when he gains the upper hand on initial contact, due to lack of foot quickness and control ability with his hands
-Inconsistent hand placement, often too narrow allowing for defenders to disengage easily
+Plays with proper knee bend and flexible hips to keep his pads down

Overall:
Menelik Watson is without a doubt one of the draft’s most intriguing prospects, for good reason. He grew up in a rough situation in Manchester, England before moving to Spain to join a prep basketball team. Soon enough, he was playing college basketball in the United States at Marist. After taking in his first college football game with a friend, a Florida State game, he decided it was what he wanted to do. Watson played for a season at Saddleback College before transferring to Florida State and winning the right tackle spot. His journey from a guy who had no knowledge or experience of the game of football to an NFL draft prospect in only two years’ time is quite remarkable and a testament to the way he has absorbed information.
Watson was highly regarded as a phenomenal athlete for most of his junior season, considering his pasts in basketball and soccer. In reality, he didn’t show the athletic ability on the field and then put in a very disappointing performance at the combine. That shouldn’t completely diminish him as a prospect, but the numbers were far from favorable. He finished last among offensive linemen in the 3 cone drill and in the bottom third in the short shuttle. His slow feet are a concern. Another concern is the general inconsistency that plagues him. Some of that is to be expected of a player who is still learning the game the way he is though. Menelik Watson is quite simply a very raw offensive tackle and would be a risk to put in the starting lineup as a rookie. The upside is high, but the floor is low. All things being considered, he looks the part of a third round pick and nothing more.—Darren Page

Scouting Notes:

Florida State vs. Florida
• Pulls out around the corner on a toss and throws a good block on Matt Elam
• Gets beat off the snap by Sharrif Floyd and can’t get across and cut him off on the backside, Floyd makes a tackle for loss
• Caves in a defensive tackle on a double before redirecting to a linebacker and stacking him well at the second level
• Mirrors around to corner well to root a pass rusher off his arc and behind the quarterback
• Takes a perfect angle to the second level on a dive gets ball side of a backside linebacker to seal off the hole
• Gets on the hip of a blitzing linebacker and drives him out of the play completely, let the backer get to his inside gap first slow, lack of anticipation
• Miscommunicates with his guard and lets a defensive tackle slide right through his inside gap
• Gets knocked onto his heels by a strong first punch and the rusher slips to his inside on an up and under move
• Sharrif Floyd gets a paw to Watson’s shoulder on a stunt and throws him to the ground, Watson slow to react when the outside rusher looped to the inside and lost his inside gap as a result

Florida State vs. Clemson
• Bit slow to the second level on a combo block, gets the edge sealed with the right guard, gets just enough contact with the linebacker to reroute him
• Whiffs after stepping up to meet Malliciah Goodman early in pass protection, who gets a hand to Watson’s outside shoulder and steps right around him
• Works across the face of the backside end and gets him pinned to the outside on an outside zone
• Gets underneath the pads of Goodman and pancakes him inside the five yard line, strong leg drive
• Spots a corner blitz coming while engaged and redirects to the outside when he gets help from the inside with the defensive end
• Quick to the speed rushes of Goodman after struggling early to mirror around the corner, making in-game adjustments
• Plants a linebacker at the second level on an effective combo block, helps the guard get a defensive tackle turned and redirects to the linebacker and crunches him on initial contact
• Gets across the face of the backside defensive end and keeps him from pinching down the cutback lane on an outside zone
• Gets his hands to the outside shoulder of the contain end and gets him turned on an outside zone his way with the help of the right guard
• Drops his pads and gets underneath the pads of the defensive end, driving him backwards on a lead to his side

Florida State vs. Georgia Tech
• Caves in a defensive end who shoots to the inside from the backside, creates a cutback lane that his back finds
• Pancakes the defensive end who shoots outside on a speed option, gives E.J. Manuel a lane before he makes the pitch
• Doesn’t fire his hands and gets knocked back on initial contact, loses his balance and gives up his inside gap on a draw as a result
• Drops his pads well and gets some movement on a down block at the goal line
• Chops his feet but doesn’t get any depth in his kickslide and gets beat around the corner by Jeremiah Attaouchu for a sack
• Fails to break down after getting to the second level and lets a linebacker sidestep him too easily and make the tackle in the hole
• Lets a pass rusher get too far into his body and the rusher spins off to the inside and past Watson, ends up getting in on the sack
• Leaves the game late in the third quarter

[Tenebrous]

Pros

Outstanding athlete; basketball background shows in his quickness
Excellent lateral movements; does a great job mirroring his defender
Perfect height, length, and bulk
Has a strong initial punch to jar back defenders
Does a nice job quickly getting into good position; understands angles
Will rarely see him get beat outside; does a great job pushing his man past the pocket
Good extension with his arms allows him to keep defenders away from his body
Gets to the second level; does a good job finding and making blocks in space
Strong work ethic; intelligent; only going to improve



Cons

Inexperienced and Raw; only one year of D-1 football experience
Not overly powerful; relies more on athletic ability and positioning
Struggles to maintain blocks in the run game; needs to finish better
Was a RT only at FSU
Pad level is inconsistent; can get off balance
Doesn't always show a strong anchor
Does not play with much aggression or nastiness

[Tenebrous]

I am starting to warm up to this pic. Has a lot of potential & is a hard worker, sounds somewhat like DHB. One wonders if RM will give up in him as easily as he seems to have on players he did not draft.

[DeadRinger]

Sounds like a decent RT prospect. But lack of lateral quickness tells me maybe this guy would be better playing inside in the NFL.

Not enough quickness to threaten V at LT.

i like the pick. Let the kid come in and push the hell out of Barnes at RT. Give him every opportunity to prove he can play the T position. If not, kick Brisiel the hell off the team and install this kid at RG.