Buffalo Bills 7-Round 2022 Mock Draft: Post-Combine Edition
Buffalo Bills Pick 57: Christian Watson, WR North Dakota State
Measurables: 6-4, 208lbs
Christian Watson was likely a late third-round/fourth-round pick before the combine. However, his performance in Indianapolis. Watson was unbelievable, and if you were not able to see if performance, check out this overview of what he was able to accomplish.
Christian Watson is a WR prospect in the 2022 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.98 RAS at the Combine out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 5 out of 2557 WR from 1987 to 2022. https://t.co/WGDb5WvptX #RAS via @Mathbomb pic.twitter.com/WoLREjmUPh
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 4, 2022
Watson essentially has near-identical testing to that of Calvin “Megatron” Johnson. Although Watson is a little leaner than Johnson, this is unprecedented territory. Although Watson is an elite athlete, this is only half the story.
On the field, Watson is a huge big-play threat. He can make tough contested catches down the field with his size and ball skills. His route running is better than you would think for a bigger receiver, but he does lack the ability to create separation on shorter routes. Despite this, Watson knows how to use his size, positioning himself open on shorter routes and in the middle of the field.
Watson’s biggest strength may be his yards after the catch. He is fast, strong, and big, making it really hard for defensive backs to bring him down in the open field. He also has the breakaway speed necessary to be a genuine touchdown threat whenever he has the ball in his hands.
Watson still was available at 57 here because he never really played strong competition in college.
Combine that with his athleticism, and his production almost comes expected. Some teams may worry about this and other minor weaknesses like his short route running or occasional mental lapses leading to dropped passes.
Buffalo should be able to see past Watson’s few flaws and take a chance on his upside. Buffalo Bills wide receiver coach Chad Hall was already able to develop Gabriel Davis into a strong contributor, so why not give him one of the best athletes to grace the combine to develop. Watson would give the Buffalo Bills the size, athleticism, and YAC ability that they really seem to be missing from their unit.