Courtney Watson
 

One of the two major needs were addressed, but does anyone really know about this guy? I'd never heard his name until just now. I'm not knocking the pick, because I'm unaware of how good this guy was in college, but does anyone have any info on him?

Courtney Watson
 

not a bad pick since they\'re still some pretty decent corners still on the board

Courtney Watson
 

Positives: Has a short, thick frame with a well-developed chest, broad shoulders, good arm muscle definition, good bubble, thick thighs and defined calves … Very productive defender with above-average toughness … Shows instinctive read and react skills, as he sees blocking schemes and moves quickly to the ball … Will step up and take on the offensive guard or lead back with force to stack the inside run … Uses his hands well to play off blocks … Quick in pursuit, showing the playing speed to recover when beaten … Has above-average ease-of-movement agility in his lateral pursuit … Hard hitter who is better as a drag-down tackler than one who wraps … Can lock on and stay on the hips of tight ends and backs operating in the short-area passing game … Adequate in his pass drops working in the zone (when dropping inside and in the short area) … Has natural hands going for the interception and a sudden burst to gain long yardage on the return … Adequate blitzer who easily moves through trash and traffic to get outside.
Negatives: Quick to diagnose plays, but needs to stay in control, as he tends to over-run plays, especially when coming on the back side pursuit … Strong to stack and shed, but would be better if he uses his natural leverage … Produces a lot of arm and drag-down tackles and needs to do a better job of staying low in his pads to stalk, wrap and secure … May not have the pass-drop agility to be effective outside in a Cover-2 defense, as he appears a little stiff in the hips and is tight in his turn working the zone … Better blitzer off the edge than coming inside, but lacks an array of moves when his initial charge is defeated (depends on quickness and speed rather than pass rush moves).

AGILITY TESTS
4.56 in the 40-yard dash … Bench presses 225 pounds 22 times … 365-pound bench press … 500-pound squat … 1.7 10-yard dash … 2.7 20-yard dash … 4.37 20-yard shuttle … 11.96 60-yard shuttle … 7.40 three-cone drill … 38-inch vertical jump … 10-foot-4 broad jump … 31½-inch arm length … 9¼-inch hands … Right-handed … Wears contacts.
CHARACTER

Courtney Watson
 

Much appreciated. ami

Courtney Watson
 

I really liked this pick. I had my eye on Watson for a few months now. The guy was ND\'s leader in 2002 when they had the great defence and I believe he might have been an All-American...I am not sure though, but the guy is pretty solid in my eyes

Courtney Watson
 

A friend of mine, who is a ND fan, sounded fairly happy about the pick. He said that Watson saved two games in \'03 with late interceptions, one being a long return for a TD.

If the write up on him is accurate, what I like is that he seems to possess the intangible of \"instinct.\" Several of the LBs we have are fast but they lack good football instincts. I\'ll take the guy with the instincts as long as everything else is fairly close.

And, it does, at minimum, address a need!

Courtney Watson
 

Solid pick I think.

Courtney Watson
 

And more on Will Smith..

18. New Orleans Saints: OLB-DE Will Smith, Ohio State
An excellent value pick, Smith will likely see more action at outside linebacker than end in the Saints\' defense, given that Charles Grant and Darren Howard showed a lot promise off the edge. Defensive coordinator Rick Venturi likes big, fast linebackers, and Smith fits the mold. He\'s not a premier pass-rusher, but he is very athletic and proved he could be a force from a two-point stance.

http://profootballweekly.com/PFW/NFL...ound1Picks.htm

[Edited on 4/25/2004 by iceshack149]

Courtney Watson
 

If the Saints move Smith to OLB, I think it would be a very good job by the FO. Even if the guy plays defensive end, we would have the luxury of rotating our D-linemen so that they won\'t tire at the end of games.

Courtney Watson
 

Pros: A well coached athletic LB with good attitude and technique, he has good speed and quickness, great upper body strength, cuts good, and has a great work ethic that gives him plenty of upside for scouts to look at.

Cons: He presently can be over powered and must bulk up to compete with the big boys. Struggles at POA because of this. Does not wrap up on tackles, needs to be more aggressive in his tackles. Needs to improve consistency.

A great athlete who was also a prep basketball star, he has the ability to overcome most of his shortcomings with a good strength and nutritional coach.