Packers take Christian Watson in NFL Draft: Fantasy Football and Dynasty outlooks, scouting report, more

Christian Watson finally heard his name at No. 34 overall when the Green Bay Packers drafted him in the 2022 NFL Draft. The Packers traded up to No. 34 overall, giving up two picks in the mid-50s to move up for Watson — a player who they feel will immediately make an impact to offset the offseason losses of wide receivers Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

Watson is one of the most exciting players you’ll watch this draft cycle. When he gets into open space, he’ll eliminate safety and second-level linebacker angles, and when he runs the vertical stem, he’ll sometimes create up to five yards of separation within seconds. Watching his game film is almost like watching a video game. Watson’s doubters will point to the level of competition and lack of speed on opposing defenses while playing at North Dakota State, but his steady drumbeat continued at the Senior Bowl when he impressed against high-level competition. 

What jumps out on tape is how much respect opposing cornerbacks offer Watson on a consistent basis due to his ability to chew up ground fast on vertical routes, and cornerbacks at the Senior Bowl soon learned how difficult it was to keep up with him in man coverage, so they too began to back off. Watson is not a finished product by any means and I have real concerns over a few areas of his game — we’ll get to below, but his limited route tree is not one of them. That’s the same “concern” I heard about DK Metcalf and players before him. My focus is on what a receiver can become based on his traits and projection and not what he was able to do (or oftentimes only asked to do) at the collegiate level.

Watson’s freakish straight-line speed, acceleration and vertical leaping ability put him in the top percentile of athletes at his position, and those traits project to a high-ceiling WR1 in Fantasy Football if he can reach said ceiling. 

Age as of Week 1: 22 | Height: 6-4 | Weight: 208 | 40-time: 4.36

Comparable body-type to: Martavis Bryant

We’re breaking down everything you need to know about Watson from a Fantasy manager perspective, including best fits, Dynasty outlook, measurables, scouting report, key stats and an NFL comparison.

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Fantasy outlook

Watson’s calling card is his length and straight-line speed, and that makes him a perfect replacement for Valdes-Scantling as the X receiver on the outside. However, Watson also offers a lot more athleticism than his predecessor. Watson’s leaping ability and lateral explosion were on display throughout his film at NDSU when they used him on jet sweeps and presnap motion. With Aaron Rodgers, he’ll be an immediate hit on the smoke routes that Rodgers loves to throw. Watson has a path toward massive volume in Year 1 given the lack of target competition and vacated targets within that Green Bay offense.

Dynasty outlook

Watson has seen his Dynasty stock rise significantly since tearing up the combine. And it wasn’t just the 40-yard dash that caught everyone’s attention — Watson measured in with a massive wingspan (32.5-inch arms) and hands (10.5 inches) to go along with elite-level explosive numbers — 38.5-inch vertical jump and 11-foot-4 broad jump. Watson’s height is in the 90th percentile for wide receivers while his 40-yard dash finished in the 92nd percentile and broad jump in the 98th percentile. Athletes like that with his past level production don’t fall far in Dynasty rookie drafts and now that he has been paired with Rodgers he could move all the way up to the WR1 off the board. He won’t last very long in Round 1 regardless of format.

Scouting report Strengths

Concerns

Stats breakdown G Rec ReYds Avg TD 2021 12 43 800 18.6 7 2020 10 18 437 24.3 1 Career 52 105 2140 20.4 14 Advanced stats to know

NFL comparison

Watson reminds me in some ways of former Steelers receiver Martavis Bryant. While they offer similar athletic builds, both prospects differed in many ways. Watson has the edge when it comes to his acceleration, which makes him a better post-catch YAC threat, but Bryant was better at the catch point. Watson has all the tools to be a mismatch at the NFL level but will need to improve his concentration at the catch point and his willingness (and success in) making tight-window contested-catches