He even has a nickname
He is 6-foot-6 and 464 pounds, moves really well considering, and he will be available on Day 3 of the NFL Draft this week. Meet defensive tackle Desmond Watson from the University of Florida, aka the “Tush Push Terminator.”
“I’m ready for it,” Watson said in a phone interview. “I am one of the best run-stoppers out there, and it’s not just because of what I am packing. There is some technique there, too.”
Keep in mind people are focusing on his weight but he does understand attacking the outside shoulder of OL to hit his gap and he is 6'6 where he has shown he can disrupt passing lanes by deflecting passes. There may be questions about how much leverage he can generate with lower pad level being that tall but overall if he sticks to NFL weight training regiment he has a shot to stick around.
If he did stick around we'd have interesting goal line D.
and maybe he could compete with Vea for goal line FB . . . catch a pass in the EZ, maybe?
He could be a real find at a position that’s hard to find studs.
I hope he can produce, would be a great story and find…but for now I’m just curious.
Losing the weight is the key to help him increase his endurance but also makes him faster. For a man of his size he moves very well but he is also young and it will take a toll on him if he stays around his current weight as his NFL career progresses. Keep in mind that he is 2 inches taller than Vea so he has the frame to be around 360 lbs. I would think 380 lbs or higher would limit his NFL career but the Bucs weight traning staff will have to determine that. Vea would hover around 360+ lbs often, but he is more optimal playing in the 340 lb range as we have seen recently.
Let's put him in the slot
That would literally be teaching the bear to dance. You could do it, but it wouldn’t be pretty.Let's put him in the slot
I’m all for him losing weight - especially before he starts getting tested by the wooly mammoth elite NFL linemen each week - but we don’t want to kill the kid.
@FireBowles2023 - give peace a chance.
He should make the practice squad. He has a lot of work to do in the weight room and the training table to lose weight and build stamina. He will have to show progress in training camp, but if he tries to get it all accomplished quickly in the dog days of Summer in Tampa he'll end up getting injured or having a serious medical episode.I love the excitement. But Desmond doesn’t make this team. Maybe practice squad.
It’s not like they discovered this kid while touring in Quebec last summer. He played his college football in one of the most humid towns in the country. He’ll be fine in Tampa’s summer heat. If they can coach him at all (they tend to do that), he’ll make the team.
He will be as fine as anybody unless he's trying to shed too much weight too fast. But he already lost a lot of weight coming in apparently, and he'll have a professional staff helping him. So he should be fine.He should make the practice squad. He has a lot of work to do in the weight room and the training table to lose weight and build stamina. He will have to show progress in training camp, but if he tries to get it all accomplished quickly in the dog days of Summer in Tampa he'll end up getting injured or having a serious medical episode.I love the excitement. But Desmond doesn’t make this team. Maybe practice squad.
It’s not like they discovered this kid while touring in Quebec last summer. He played his college football in one of the most humid towns in the country. He’ll be fine in Tampa’s summer heat. If they can coach him at all (they tend to do that), he’ll make the team.
He will be as fine as anybody unless he's trying to shed too much weight too fast. But he already lost a lot of weight coming in apparently, and he'll have a professional staff helping him. So he should be fine.He should make the practice squad. He has a lot of work to do in the weight room and the training table to lose weight and build stamina. He will have to show progress in training camp, but if he tries to get it all accomplished quickly in the dog days of Summer in Tampa he'll end up getting injured or having a serious medical episode.I love the excitement. But Desmond doesn’t make this team. Maybe practice squad.
It’s not like they discovered this kid while touring in Quebec last summer. He played his college football in one of the most humid towns in the country. He’ll be fine in Tampa’s summer heat. If they can coach him at all (they tend to do that), he’ll make the team.
Can he return punts?
I know Egbuka & Tez can… but I wouldn’t mind seeing he and Vita in the Rhyno Backfield behind Baker…and you know they’ll look great dropping into coverage, too.He will be as fine as anybody unless he's trying to shed too much weight too fast. But he already lost a lot of weight coming in apparently, and he'll have a professional staff helping him. So he should be fine.He should make the practice squad. He has a lot of work to do in the weight room and the training table to lose weight and build stamina. He will have to show progress in training camp, but if he tries to get it all accomplished quickly in the dog days of Summer in Tampa he'll end up getting injured or having a serious medical episode.I love the excitement. But Desmond doesn’t make this team. Maybe practice squad.
It’s not like they discovered this kid while touring in Quebec last summer. He played his college football in one of the most humid towns in the country. He’ll be fine in Tampa’s summer heat. If they can coach him at all (they tend to do that), he’ll make the team.
Can he return punts?
Not much of a Gator booster, either, eh?
Just watching the clips of the big fella. First impression is he has a loooooooooong way to go. He'll have to get on the practice squad and get serious about training. The Bucs will have to judge if he really has the mental make up to do that and I wouldn't say it's a shoe in that he even gets that far.