Let’s take a look at the redraft and dynasty fantasy football impact of the Green Bay Packers’ selection of Christian Watson.

Team Drafted: Green Bay Packers
Pick Selected: Round 2, No. 34 overall

2022 Redraft Fantasy Football Outlook

The Green Bay Packers traded up to the top of the second round with the Minnesota Vikings to select Christian Watson with the 34th overall selection.

The North Dakota State product joins a lackluster Packers receiving corps of Sammy Watkins, Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb and Amari Rodgers, so there’s an opportunity for Watson to earn an immediate role from the get-go.

Watson’s rise to the second round starter at the 2022 Senior Bowl. The North Dakota State prospect showed that his 35% dominator rating and No. 1-ranked 4.33 Yards per route run were no fluke, even if they came against an easy schedule of opponents.
And his draft stock continued to ascend with a blazing 4.36 40-yard dash (92nd percentile) during Combine testing. That speed at Watson’s size.

Combine that with his 38.5-inch vertical (84th percentile) and 136-inch broad jump (98th percentile), and all that’s left is calling the dude a certified stud that will benefit greatly from having Aaron Rodgers as his quarterback.

But be prepared for some growing pains as Watson makes the leap to stiffer competition at the next level. He’s not a fully refined product that has had issues with focus drops — 11 over the last two seasons. Best not to get in Rodgers’ doghouse.

Initial redraft ranking: WR46

2022 NFL Draft Profile

As soon as you flip on Christian Watson’s film, you automatically see that the testing speed is real. What he can do with his lightning-fast legs adds a wow factor to several plays. Whether he’s taking deep targets or handoffs to the house, he’s a big-play threat anytime the ball is in his hands. North Dakota State’s coaching staff knew this and tried to get the ball to him any way they could. They lined him up in the backfield (4.1% of his snaps in 2021, per PFF) and used him on jet sweeps, screens, wheel routes, etc. Don’t think that NFL offensive coordinators won’t do the same thing to ease his small school transition.

*Yprr ranks compared against FBS WRs
**Only 46 targets

Christian Watson made him pay ? pic.twitter.com/BdFrq4zpJw

— Derek Brown (@DBro_FFB) February 5, 2022

Since 2019, he’s been lethal after the catch. In these instances, he’s manufactured explosive plays with speed, yes, but his vision and change of direction ability in traffic have also been exquisite. His testing numbers at the combine also reflected this, as he finished with a 97th percentile short shuttle. Stacking his FCS numbers against FBS receivers with 50 or more targets, he would have ranked inside the top 20 in yards after the catch per reception in the last three seasons. Easy completions for significant gains are a welcome addition to any offense.

I left Mobile absolutely blown away by @seniorbowl WR of the week, NDST’s Christian Watson.

First priority upon getting home was a deep dive into his film. Watson has speed and size for days among many other top-tier traits and skills.

A thread of what I found:

— Brett Whitefield (@BGWhitefield) February 5, 2022

While his route running still does need refinement, he showed at Senior Bowl practices that he’s not as raw as many think. In 1-on-1 drills, he was nearly unguardable. His quick feet, release variations, and upper body strength led to easy separation. This boots-on-the-ground first-person recollection gave me a better understanding of his skills in this area that didn’t necessarily translate from his game tape.

Christian Watson pic.twitter.com/5Gxu5BJhIg

— Derek Brown (@DBro_FFB) February 1, 2022

Watson makes sizable contributions even when he isn’t the focus of the offensive play. He’s a tenacious and physical run blocker. This won’t show up in the box score weekly, but it’ll endear him to any coaching staff. His play strength can be seen here as he has no issues securing and anchoring his marks.

Watson’s highlight reels are littered with deep plays, but when the in-game consistency with deep ball tracking still must be honed. While 64.2% of his receiving touchdowns at North Dakota State were on 20+ yard targets, he also accumulated 37.5% of his drops on those downfield shots. Since 2018 he dropped 10.1% of his deep targets. He’s got to clean this up, or he’ll leave yards on the field yearly.

Another area he will need to hone during his NFL career is his strength at the catch point. He wasn’t used above the rim for a receiver with his size and 91st percentile vertical jump. The vast majority of his big plays are moments when he burnt a corner to a crisp on a deep route, but you rarely see on film back shoulder or jump balls tossed in his direction. This could be a result of their offensive design, the quarterback play, 30.0% contested catch rate (per PFF), or all of these factors.

Yes, Watson will have a sizable learning curve with the step up in competition. Considering what he showed at the Senior Bowl and his mouth-watering physical traits, it’s a call to action that he’s prepared to answer.

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