Guard
Baylor
6-3 310
Draft Board Overall Prospect Rank: #64
Draft Board Overall Guard Rank: #6
Rating: 75 (late 2nd/early 3rd)
40 time: 5.28
2/19/11: Danny Watkins has an interesting story. He grew up loving hockey in Canada and became a fire fighter rather than going to college. Then at age 22, he decided to further his education at Butte College in California. That’s where he found football. He played 2 years there as a walk on, showing his natural talent and improving to the point where Baylor, of the Big 12, gave him a scholarship.
He played there for 2 years, all over the line, including at left tackle and became a potential NFL prospect. After only one year at Baylor, he was drafted with the 4th pick in the CFL Draft, but turned them down to stick around at Baylor. Moving to guard, he went to the Senior Bowl, where he proved himself as a potential 2nd round prospect. He is 26 years old, but only has 4 years of experience.
Watching Watkins in the game and more impressively in one-on-one, he was hands down the most polished technician there. He didn’t do a single thing wrong in one on ones. He got good leverage. He used his hands extremely well, better than 95% of college offensive lineman I’ve watched. He looked like a man among boys, which makes sense because at age 26, he literally was. However, with only 4 years of experience, he’s still relatively raw and has upside.
His versatility on the line will only work on his favor. If he was 22, he’d probably be a top 40 pick, at the very least, and possibly a first round. However, at age 26, his career is going to be shorter. I think he makes most sense for a team in the 2nd round, a good team that needs guard help, but would prefer someone who can help right away because they’re built to win right away. Atlanta, New England, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Green Bay all make sense.
NFL Comparison: Stephen Neal
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