FS Pat Watkins compared to Coleman
(profile written by Keith Weiland)
Safety
Pat Watkins
College: Florida State
Year: Senior
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 205
Birthday: December 18, 1982
Pat Watkins ought to remind Texans fans of Marcus Coleman. Watkins is an unusually tall defensive back and a willing tackler. Like Coleman, he is also nothing special when it comes to man coverage. In the final evaluation then, Watkins, like Coleman, is a free safety.
Watkins’ size is his greatest asset. Like other tall defenders with a little giddyup to his gait, he has excellent range to cover more than his share of gridiron real estate. Watkins swats down passes with his long arms like he’s goaltending in the NBA. He ought to improve any redzone defense, even as a rookie. So Watkins is more than just tall. He gets the most out of height, and better yet, he has the fluidity of someone a half foot shorter at his position.
Watkins was also known for coming up with the big play at Florida State. Ten interceptions in his career, coupled with a few big tackles and turnovers, and Watkins earned that reputation the hard way. The team that drafts Watkins won’t just be adding a solid zone defender on pass defense, but they will also be adding someone that can shore up their run defense, too.
His play hasn’t always been consistent though, even as a senior. It did seem to improve as the season wore into the winter months though. Watkins nabbed an interception in the ACC Championship then registered double-digit tackles against Penn State in the Orange Bowl. With that height, an eyeball test suggests he may have outgrown his weight just a bit, but Watkins has a knack for making plays because of it, not in spite of it.
Safety
Pat Watkins
College: Florida State
Year: Senior
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 205
Birthday: December 18, 1982
Pat Watkins ought to remind Texans fans of Marcus Coleman. Watkins is an unusually tall defensive back and a willing tackler. Like Coleman, he is also nothing special when it comes to man coverage. In the final evaluation then, Watkins, like Coleman, is a free safety.
Watkins’ size is his greatest asset. Like other tall defenders with a little giddyup to his gait, he has excellent range to cover more than his share of gridiron real estate. Watkins swats down passes with his long arms like he’s goaltending in the NBA. He ought to improve any redzone defense, even as a rookie. So Watkins is more than just tall. He gets the most out of height, and better yet, he has the fluidity of someone a half foot shorter at his position.
Watkins was also known for coming up with the big play at Florida State. Ten interceptions in his career, coupled with a few big tackles and turnovers, and Watkins earned that reputation the hard way. The team that drafts Watkins won’t just be adding a solid zone defender on pass defense, but they will also be adding someone that can shore up their run defense, too.
His play hasn’t always been consistent though, even as a senior. It did seem to improve as the season wore into the winter months though. Watkins nabbed an interception in the ACC Championship then registered double-digit tackles against Penn State in the Orange Bowl. With that height, an eyeball test suggests he may have outgrown his weight just a bit, but Watkins has a knack for making plays because of it, not in spite of it.
posted by The Gryphon at 6:50 PM
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