Quote:
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Originally Posted by MOhillbilly
but we need guys who can start now like DJ,not one who could become a good player.
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He WOULD DEFINITELY start from day one. Here's a nice profile...
Gabriel Watson | DT | Michigan Year: Senior
Home Town: Novi, MI
High School: Southfield
Height: 6'4
Weight: 333
40 yard Dash: 5.15 (est) Profile Added: 8/12/05
Profile Updated: 12/28/05
Biography
Also a wrestler and basketball player in high school, Watson burst onto the scene just before his senior season with a big performance at Michigan's NIKE camp. Watson stayed in state and committed to the Wolverines despite being courted by many top programs including Nebraska and Ohio State. Watson stepped in as a freshman and did not redshirt, but played sparingly. He saw more time as a sophomore, but still didn't make a big impact until his junior season when he became the starter and earned 1st team All-Big 10 honors. As a senior, he had his starting spot taken away early in the season, but re-earned it later in the year and still made 1st team All Big 10 for the second year in a row.
Analysis
STRENGTHS: Size, Power, Pursuit Speed
WEAKNESSES: Consistency, Pad level
NFL COMPARISON: Albert Haynesworth, Titans
Like Haynesworth, Watson is a big, strong tackle with good straight line speed for a big man. However, both players are players who coaches constantly have to try to motivate to play at their highest potential.
SCOUTING REPORT: The biggest area where Watson must improve his getting his pad level down. When he does this consistently (like the Rose Bowl vs. Texas for instance) he almost always ends up in the opposing backfield. He has such great strength and power, and is surprisingly quick off the ball for a man his size, that if he wins the leverage battle, there is almost no stopping him. But too often, he is firing out too high and thus, allows one blocker to handle him. Watson could be a player that commands a double team on every play, but this hasn't always been the case. He could do a better job of using his hands to shed blockers. He will occsionally resort to trying to spin off blocks, and will take himself out of some plays. When the play is away from him, Watson shows surprising pursuit ability. He has good straight line speed and will hustle down field and to the flanks to get to ball carriers. Watson is a high character player, but keeping his motivation up and making sure he plays to his ability level will be key for his NFL team.
Against Top
Competition
2005
2004
2003 Skills Grades
Measureables
Intangibles
Vs the Pass
Vs the Run
Pursuit
Read/Recognition
Collegiate Production
Upside
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
| 3-4=poor | 5-6 = average | 7 = fair | 8 = good | 9 = excellent | 10 = elite |
Overall
Watson has played both in a 4-3 and a 3-4. He has good potential as a NT in a 3-4, as he was at his most productive when Michigan featured him as a nose man. Ability wise, he has the size, strength and athleticism of a top 10 prospect. However, his up and down play will drop him. Watson grades out as a 2nd/3rd Round pick, but could go in the 1st Round based on his upside potential.
Projected Selection: late 1st-late 2nd Round