Sammy Watkins receives effusive praise from Ray Farmer
Sammy Watkins participates in a pass catching drill. Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Clemson Tigers product Sammy Watkins is the top wide receiver prospect in the 2014 NFL Draft, and that’s an impressive accomplishment given the amount of talent and depth at the position this year. Watkins separates himself from the rest of the pack by bringing the total package to the table, because he is a dynamic weapon who generates massive yards after the catch with his explosiveness and agility, he understands the finer points of the game (ran an NFL route-tree with ease at Clemson when called upon), he can win at any level of the field, he can line up in the slot or on the outside, he has very good hands, and he has the ability to compete for jump balls.
Watkins simply does everything well and has all the mental tools and physical tools to be a top-notch WR prospect. If he’s there for the Cleveland Browns with the fourth pick overall, then there’s a huge chance of them taking him and putting him opposite of superstar Josh Gordon. Watkins, Gordon, and Jordan Cameron would give the Browns next quarterback a trio of deadly weapons, but they could just as easily take their QB fourth overall before picking a wide receiver like Allen Robinson with the 26th pick, or they could even bookend Joe Thomas with Greg Robinson or Jake Matthews and kick Mitchell Schwartz.
The Browns could go in a number of different ways with the fourth pick overall in this year’s draft, especially since their views on how to fill their biggest position of need (QB) are completely up to speculation, especially since we don’t know what other teams will do at QB. But Watkins is an excellent prospect, and Browns GM Ray Farmer heaped some effusive praise onto his shoulders at today’s press conference.
He said of potentially adding Watkins, via the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Mary Kay Cabot, “It would be big, big, ginormous (to get him). He’s a good football player. He has really good hands, can run all the routes and can be productive. Saddle him on the opposite side of Josh Gordon — wow!”
Pretty awesome way to put it, don’t you think? But as with anything in this year’s draft, don’t take any report or comment from a decision-maker too seriously- just file it away as something interesting or, in this case, unsurprising.