Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report
 

Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report

By Josh Katzenstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
on April 12, 2017 at 5:37 PM, updated April 12, 2017 at 5:38 PM

Add another edge rusher to the list of draft prospects who have piqued the interest of the New Orleans Saints.

Former Wisconsin standout T.J. Watt, a likely second-round pick, told NFL.com he has a workout scheduled with the Saints this week, among other teams.

Watt, of course, is the younger brother of Houston Texans star J.J. Watt, but he's entering the NFL with plenty of credentials. The 6-foot-4, 252-pound T.J. Watt had 11.5 sacks, 15.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and an interception for the Badgers in 2016.

The Saints have closely monitored many of the top defensive end prospects thus far in the draft, including Tennessee's Derek Barnett, Michigan's Taco Charlton, UCLA's Takk McKinley, Kansas State's Jordan Willis, Ohio's Tarell Basham and others.

Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report | NOLA.com

DE with the skill set to drop into coverage is rare to have and would fill a huge need for DA desire to mix things up. Sure he will have to bulk up a bit but he plays with an insane intensity that is hard to find, Just love the attitude he plays with. He is like his brother in that regards. None stop and out to humiliate anyone one in front of him. That is a trait you can not coach. He's going to keep getting better and I like him better as a 43 DE than an OLB. But the ability to add depth at OLB and ILB is a huge plus for a team building a defense. Has more upside than most DE that will get picked ahead of him.

OJ at 11 and TJ at 32 would be a nice start to the draft for me.

T.J. Watt to DE is a pick I can not shake at 32 for one of my favorite "reach" picks. He is the reason I do not feel such love for the middle of the pack DE that will go ahead of him. He also is the reason I am willing to trade down if an elite talent does not fall into our laps at 11. I would reach on him in the 20s because their is a bunch of teams at the bottom of the draft that could take him. If he ends up in Atlanta i will be in the market for a new TV before we pick at 32. So trading down from 11 and back up to 25 or 26 from 32 would work for me

Trading down and settling for Marlon Humphrey then trading up and assuring T.J. Watt would work for me too. Nothing wrong with solid a solid floor and sky is the limit ceilings when building a defense. Go for broke and roll the dice.

Re: Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report
 

If he is anywhere close to his older brother, we should do this if he is available.

Re: Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report
 

Now that's funny right there Hagan.
I don't think there's enough TV's on the planet if that were to happen.

Re: Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report
 

Re: Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report
 

Wouldn't mind seeing this guy in a Saints uni. Not sure about him going in the second. I think there might be some teams that would commit a late first round pick to get him. It wouldn't surprise me.

Re: Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report
 

From what I gather and read, T.J. loves football (he will probably want to get better at his craft). High motor, relentless and highly productive. Tough as a $2 steak.

#32? ... to be continued.

Re: Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report
 

If he could be half as great, as his brother.

Re: Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report
 

It'll be interesting to see if he's still there at 32.

Re: Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report
 

Thats the problem, he is no where close to his brother. He is avg at best. And I am so sick of hearing about OJ Howard as well If we go Howard at 11 ima be pissed. TE is not a need and Watt would be a waste if drafted before rd 4. Rotational guy at best. We need Thomas, Taco, Hooker, Lattimore or Adams at 11.

Re: Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report
 

Not at 32 I wouldn't, I don't think the Saints will either. "Pass Rusher" I'm not sold there's only one Watt I want and that's JJ...Oh he's not available...Oh ok..

Re: Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report
 

TJ plays a little light IMO and needs 2-3
years to develop. I wouldn't pick before round 3

Re: Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report
 

What does that mean?

Re: Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report
 

T.J. has explosion off the line. I could see the Cows taking him early.

Re: Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report
 

He plays a bit soft. Too upright. Doesn't really disrupt and gets locked up with blockers too much. I'm not saying he couldn't be good one day but he's not worth more than a 3rd IMO

Re: Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report
 

Wasn't T.J. a fullback for all but this past year? Or did he convert to DE the year before? I never heard squat about him playing defense until late this past year, and it caught me off guard. LSU played them in game 1, and I guess I was too busy being annoyed at the inability to execute the forward pass, to notice that Watt was playing defense. I don't remember hearing his name.

That was an awful quick transition, to not only switch positions, but be successful that early. I wonder what took the Badgers so long to decide that maybe defense is in the Watt's blood. I'd take him in the second round without much of a problem. Not all families produce multiple star athletes, but these Watt dude's seem like they are cut out of a very similar mold, and that's hard to pass on.

Re: Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report
 

Out of curiosity, I looked up Watt's college stats, and he apparently switched to defense during his redshirt sophomore season. So it was technically his third year before he started, and it says he was playing tight end, though I remember him playing fullback. Either way, it was still a pretty quick transition, with rather instant success. That tells me he's on a pretty good trajectory. He'll no doubt have some kinks to work out, but that's ok for a second rounder and beyond, if the Saints should select him.

Re: Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report
 

If he's even half as good as his brother, he'll be twice as good as what we currently have.

Re: Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report
 

I think he is getting a lot of hype because of his last name...

Re: Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report
 

Check his stats the last two years (his only years playing defense). It's nothing to do with his brother.

Re: Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report
 

The only thing I say he has in common in with his brother right now is the attitude they play the game with.

Re: Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report
 

From what I've read he's good at what he does. I've watched his highlights and they look great.......so do mine.

I like him at 42. I don't think he'll be there but he might. Anybody that needs work should not be a first rounder.imho

There are clusters of players in each round that have strengths we will covet at that position. If Watt is gone we will have other players ranked at a position of need that can make the team better. I like him but I can live without him if I like the selection at 32 or 42 better.

Re: Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report
 

For the T.J. Watt detractors, I'd ask (and I know the answer) if you've actually watch this kid play the last two years...

Last year, he caught my eye; this year, starting with the LSU game at Lambeau, he jumped out...

Have watched several of his games on replay streaming, and he made plays at the OLB/DE spot that was very reminiscent of Rickey Jackson...

The bloodlines are always nice, but judge the kid on his own merits with an objective eye and you'll find a d*mn good football player that I'd be happy with at No. 32 or ten picks later at No. 42...

Re: Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report
 

I work Wisconsin and surrounding states during football season(no Packers fan here) but the kid is pretty good. I'm not sold on him playing DE in a 4-3at the pro level but would be a stud in a 3-4 D as an OLB and could slide inside in a 3-4 also.

Re: Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report
 

Watt's teammate Vince Biegel would be a real nice late-round pick.

Re: Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report
 

JP I'm not detracting from the kid I just don't think he's the type
of player we spend a high pick on. It's pretty obvious he'll need 2-3 years to develop before becoming a starter.

Re: Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report
 

It's all a crap shoot.

Re: Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report
 

And what I've seen is a guy that's taken leaps in development; he was a Tight End just two seasons ago...

He won't take that long to play, in fact, I'd argue he could be ready to take over from Okafor by mid-season...

Re: Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report
 

I wouldn't sweat it anyways, he'll probably get drafted by Atlanta, make the ProBowl along with Vic Beasley (again) because the ATL was at least able to install a 3-4 defense after they said they would...

Of course, I feel sorry for the young man for all the disappointments he'll endure as a Falcon...

Re: Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report
 

His stats are not bad but when he disappeared in games those were really bad games. Nebraska, northwestern and Illinois are not exactly great teams but they held him to little to nothing. That was 3 games in a row too. Purdue game was bad also but I left them off because he got a sack.

Re: Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report
 

If his Brother wasn't famous, he would be a 5th or 6th round pick at best.

Re: Saints have workout scheduled with Wisconsin edge rusher T.J. Watt: report