Cowboys 2025 Prospect Watch: Desmond Watson

Desmond Watson’s The Immovable Object

One thing that pops out with Desmond Watson on tape is that he rarely gets moved backward.

He stops opposing blockers in their tracks and, in most cases, works them into the backfield.

His overwhelming size and strength create pressure in the backfield against the run, and he collapses the pocket with sheer force.

Watson could be the premier run-stopping defensive tackle in this class, but he is being overlooked due to his massive size and conditioning concerns.

Conditioning concerns aside, this young man is a run-stopping monster at the nose tackle position.

According to PFF.com’s premium statistics, Watson has graded out in run defense with a 72.5 over four years at Florida. Last year and in 2022, he graded out with 80.4 and 80.9, respectively.

Desmond Watson’s Weight Issues and Confronting His Problem

Desmond Watson started his collegiate career weighing in at 385 lbs, but that ballooned to 464 lbs.

He stands 6’6″tall, but that is still too much weight to carry to be a significant threat in the NFL.

He has come to terms with this problem and sees his weight issues as an addiction to snack foods and other unhealthy foods.

Even at this size, Desmond Watson is a great athlete.

He had a vertical leap of 25 inches, outperforming some defensive tackles in this draft class who weigh much less.

In the bench press, he completed 36 repetitions at 225 pounds, which is three more reps than any of the 300-plus participants at the NFL Combine workouts.

These numbers stand out for a player his size, but he has said the issue is not stopping while driving and getting snacks.

He shared this with Fox Sports:

“Stopping while driving,” Watson said when asked about bad habits he’s tried to shed. “My biggest thing is keep going, get to where I need to get. There are stores and a lot of temptations. That’s helped me immensely: Don’t go inside the gas station. Pay at the pump. Because inside, it’s snacks and all types of things like that. Don’t pull over. If you’re on the highway, stay on the highway until you get where you’ve got to go.”

He completely understands the problem and is working on correcting the issue.

If he can lose weight, he could be a freak athlete at defensive tackle.

The Cowboys Can Use a Late Round Pick

Desmond Watson is not going to go early in the NFL Draft.

He is currently listed as a priority free agent, so the Cowboys may not need to spend a draft pick, but securing his services with a late-round pick could be the smart move.

According to NFL.com, Watson is an average backup or special teamer, but if he can control his weight, he could be more.

The Dallas Cowboys currently have some late-round picks to use, and a player with this type of size and athleticism does not come around very often.

If the Cowboys’ defensive coaching staff is able to harness his weight and help him develop some pass rush moves, this could be a player who becomes an NFL superstar at the defensive tackle position.

This is the ultimate boom or bust pick, but grabbing him in the 6th or 7th round would not be a major investment.

The Cowboys need help in the run-stopping portion of the defense, and Desmond Watson is a prospect to watch on day three of the draft.