Nathaniel Watson NFL Draft 2024: Scouting Report for Mississippi State LB

HEIGHT: 6'2"

WEIGHT: 233

HAND: 9⅞"

ARM: 32⅞"

WINGSPAN: 81"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.63

3-CONE: N/A

SHUTTLE: N/A

VERTICAL: 31"

BROAD: 9'3"

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POSITIVES

— Highly productive and a sure tackler with very few misses when tackling in the box.

— Physical run defender. Not afraid to throw his body around and has some pop behind his pads.

— Decent instincts versus zone runs. Will occasionally be quick to key and diagnose to help beat offensive linemen to the spot.

— Has some upper-body strength to get extension on blocks.

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NEGATIVES

— Subpar movement skills overall that affect his coverage skills and ability to cover running backs and tight ends. Will also get juked out by ball-carriers when tackling in space.

— Limited range versus outside runs due to a lack of speed and agility.

— Takes on blocks with high pad level, which can lead to conceding ground against good run-blocking offensive linemen.

— Isn't violent when trying to shed blocks. Often gets stuck even against tight ends.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 12 G, 137 TOT, 13 TFL, 10 SK, 1 INT, 2 PD, 2 FF

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NOTES

— Born Sept. 1, 2000

— 3-star recruit in the 2018 class, per 247Sports

— No major injuries

— Charged with felony assault in 2018 for allegedly street racing; crashed and caused injuries to the passenger, per Mississippi Clarion Ledger

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OVERALL

Nathaniel Watson is a highly productive linebacker who had 250 total tackles over the last two seasons combined. He also has an old-school mentality as a run defender, showing a willingness to throw his body around and be physical when coming downhill.

However, there are questions about how Watson's production will translate to the NFL, as he lacks a lot of desired traits for a linebacker. His movement skills are subpar, which impacts his ability to cover and his range against zone runs. He also isn't a violent block-shedder and gets stuck too often for someone with his size and upper-body strength.

Ultimately, Watson may need to have a good showing in training camp and make a name for himself on special teams to land on a 53-man roster as a rookie.

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GRADE: 5.5 (Backup/Draftable — 6th-7th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 223

POSITION RANK: LB19

PRO COMPARISON: Brandon Siler

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

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