Draft Profile: J.J. Watt

by Lisol on Feb 7, 2011 6:46 PM EST

J.J. Watt is a Junior Defensive End from Big 10 co-Champion Wisconsin. In January after the Rose Bowl, he declared for the 2011 NFL Draft.

Standing at 6-foot-6 inches and 292 pounds, he has the size to play Defensive End in the NFL. A transfer student from CMU, he only played for the Badgers his Sophomore and Junior years. His production in those years cannot be ignored though. In his sophomore year he tallied 32 solo tackles and 12 assists, along with 4 sacks. In his junior year he was utilized a bit more and came away with 43 solo tackles, 19 assists, 7 sacks (including 2 against Ohio State), 2 forced fumbles and a 15 yard interception return. He also had 6 passes defended in his junior season.

NFLDraftScout.com has him listed as the 6th best DE in the draft. I project JJ to go late in the 1st, maybe falling to late in the 2nd.

Watt is more of a pass rusher than a run stopper, but he can effectively be both. In the Browns' new 4-3 scheme, he could fit well on the strong side, opposite a Matt Roth (if he re-signs), Marcus Benard or Jayme Mitchell. Watt has a motor that never stops, he never gives up on a play and always plays through the whistle. When he's not double teamed he gets great inside penetration on the Tight End.

The thing holding him back the most is the fact that most of his production came against less than stellar offensive lines. The only truly competitive lines he played against, in my estimation, are Iowa, Ohio State and Michigan State. Though he produced good numbers in all 3 of those games (registering a sack in each of them) his production elsewhere could be seen as fools gold. Also, he has a tendency to over commit to a play, biting on play-action and the like. Even tallying two sacks against Ohio State he seemed to get evaded and out-run by Pryor on several plays, which makes me question his speed and quickness

Why should the Browns draft JJ Watt? Well, the long and the short of it is, we need a 4-3 pass rusher. Our current pass rusher's really don't seem to have the size to play Defensive End (outside of Roth) in the 4-3. With a person like JJ Watt attacking the passer it would give many more opportunities for our young secondary to make big plays. If he falls to us early in the 2nd round, the Browns should scoop him up quickly.

Why shouldn't the Browns draft JJ Watt? We have so many needs at so many other positions on the field, that drafting another DE/LB would seem wasteful. In the early 2nd round there could be plenty of other standout players that could fill huge needs for our Brownies.

In conclusion, JJ Watt is a big playmaker that could be a solid addition to a struggling Browns team. If drafted by the Browns he could easily fill a need for the next 8 years.

For your viewing pleasure -

JJ Watt vs OSU

JJ Watt Highlights.

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Comments

Just looking at these films he seems to lack the agility and speed you’d ideally want to go along with his size as a DE at the next level.

Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing. -- Vince Lombardi

by burntorangeandbrown on Feb 7, 2011 7:48 PM EST reply actions

That is prolly my biggest concern when it comes to how JJ will perform in the NFL.

by Lisol on Feb 7, 2011 7:53 PM EST up reply actions

If he’s there in round 3 sure.

by homerun21 on Feb 7, 2011 8:34 PM EST reply actions

I don’t think it’s fair to criticize a 300 pound DT for not being able to keep up with a guy who runs a 4.33 40.

I met a fairy today that granted me one wish. "I want to live forever," I said. "Sorry" said the fairy, "I'm not allowed to grant wishes like that!"
"Fine" I said, "I want to die after the Browns win the Super Bowl !"
"You crafty bastard," said the fairy.

by The Licensed Pessimist on Feb 7, 2011 8:48 PM EST reply actions

Yeah, and the biggest issue I think really is his ability to change direction. His 40 time is in the 4.7-4.8 range, so he’s still pretty fast. But changing direction and then closing in on someone he seems to suffer.

by Lisol on Feb 7, 2011 9:01 PM EST up reply actions

Watt is not, will not be a DT except maybe in sub packages.

"Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital." - Aaron Levenstein

by rufio on Feb 10, 2011 1:53 AM EST up reply actions

Contrary to what you said he seems to move just fine for a guy his size, granted that’s only from watching one game and these videos.

"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools" -Hemingway

by notthatnoise on Feb 7, 2011 8:52 PM EST reply actions

(again – going on limited exposure i.e. just seeing these vids…)
It just seems like when he sheds a blocker coming around the edge he is a bit slow to recover and cut back with good quickness toward the QB / ball carrier. He doesn’t appear to have very good speed overall, especially lateral agility and quickness. His best plays in these highlights are when he’s able to burst through the first blocker and straight line it to the QB (or use his height to knock down a pass…).
For contrast check out this video of Ryan Kerrigan from Purdue against Michigan. He can fly off the edge and turn the corner quicker – even makes some spin moves and cut back toward the QB.

Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing. -- Vince Lombardi

by burntorangeandbrown on Feb 8, 2011 10:43 AM EST up reply actions

Kerrigan looked much slower to me. He didn’t seem to move side to side very well. He certainly gets up field quick and has a good rip move, but he seemed to get washed out of the play often. In contrast, Watt seemed to get blown off the ball on rushing plays and wasn’t particularly quick off the line, but he showed more than one move and maintained his rushing lane much better than Kerrigan.

"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools" -Hemingway

by notthatnoise on Feb 8, 2011 4:57 PM EST up reply actions

I should also note that Kerrigan was working against a worse line than Watt.

"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools" -Hemingway

by notthatnoise on Feb 8, 2011 4:58 PM EST up reply actions

Watt, huh? Bet he’s got a lot of power.
http://instantrimshot.com/

"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools" -Hemingway

by notthatnoise on Feb 7, 2011 11:24 PM EST reply actions

Wouldn’t that be an Amp? Joke killer.

If you haven't watched Inception, do it now. Right now.

by SpecialBrownie on Feb 7, 2011 11:40 PM EST up reply actions

he seems like a pretty bright guy

Moisture is the essence of wetness.

by troy145 on Feb 8, 2011 12:09 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs

Amperes are a unit of current.

"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools" -Hemingway

by notthatnoise on Feb 8, 2011 9:25 AM EST up reply actions

10,000 gigawatts!

I am effing hurdling you and you can't stop me.

by JustBob on Feb 8, 2011 4:52 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

More like 1.21 jigowatts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjCRUvX2D0E

"Quote goes here."

by Adrock2099 on Feb 8, 2011 8:01 PM EST up reply actions

Wow, you fail.

If you haven't watched Inception, do it now. Right now.

by SpecialBrownie on Feb 8, 2011 8:13 PM EST up reply actions

thats over 9,000

I teach good life choices. That’s why I almost didn’t graduate High School.
Intensive Purposes? I could care less...
your whole argument is a fallacy!

by bross09 on Feb 9, 2011 12:46 AM EST up reply actions

I think a bigger reason for not drafting him is if we take someone in the 1st round at DE. I fully support this pick in the second round (it’s actually part of my ideal draft, with A.J. Green in the first). I’d be pretty excited about seeing him in brown.

by Don'tByBrownsQBJerseys on Feb 7, 2011 11:44 PM EST reply actions

I think with the switch to the 4-3 it’d be wise to take more than 1 DE if one we like falls our way.

by StuckInPa on Feb 8, 2011 12:21 AM EST up reply actions

I could see the Browns drafting Ryan Kerrigan, and here's why:

Kerrigan NEVER quits on a play. Ever. Even though he played for some really bad Purdue teams, he never gave up on a play, or a game. You couldn’t ask for a much better drive or work ethic. I think he’d be a great 4-3 DE for a young team. While Kerrigan might not have unreal rushing speed, he still gets to the QB and forces a TON of fumbles. He reminds me a lot of Aaron Kampman during the prime of his career.

Editor at BT Powerhouse, a Big Ten Basketball blog.

by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Feb 8, 2011 1:01 AM EST up reply actions

I like Kerrigan’s motor, I’m just not convinced he’s all that good.

"Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital." - Aaron Levenstein

by rufio on Feb 10, 2011 1:55 AM EST up reply actions

...

Even tallying two sacks against Ohio State he seemed to get evaded and out-run by Pryor on several plays, which makes me question his speed and quickness

I didn’t see too much of that. Pryor was running to the right more from what I saw, and Watt operated on the opposite side. In addition, Tressel started feeding Herron the ball more and more as the game went along.

Don’t let ESPN’s stat-keeping fool you. Watt had 4 sacks of Pryor that game; 2 of which ESPN edited into “rush for 2-4 yard loss”.

Editor at BT Powerhouse, a Big Ten Basketball blog.

by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Feb 8, 2011 12:47 AM EST reply actions

I went back and watched that game, and I agree with you 100% on the sack’s issue.

by Lisol on Feb 8, 2011 1:08 AM EST up reply actions

no, those were TFLs, not sacks. If the QB is running the ball (and both plays were designed runs) it doesn’t count as a sack.

"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools" -Hemingway

by notthatnoise on Feb 8, 2011 9:26 AM EST up reply actions

It was scored as a sack.

Pryor was never looking to run on those plays, both of which I remember pretty well…

Editor at BT Powerhouse, a Big Ten Basketball blog.

by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Feb 8, 2011 6:42 PM EST up reply actions

In the video above Watt has two sacks and two TFLs on Prior I believe. One sack is at 1:19, a TFL is at 1:41, another at 3:25, and the second sack is the last play. unless there are more that aren’t in the video for some reason, that’s two sacks and two TFLs.

"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools" -Hemingway

by notthatnoise on Feb 9, 2011 12:24 AM EST up reply actions

If Watt falls to the 2nd, I would not want too many players over him at that spot if at all. Thanks for leading is off Lisol.

by Roger Dorn on Feb 8, 2011 12:28 PM EST reply actions

thanks! was a pleasure, lookin forward to writing a couple more.

We have met the enemy, and they are ours. - O H Perry

by Lisol on Feb 8, 2011 12:58 PM EST up reply actions

My ideal first 3 rounds of the draft go

Bowers (pipe dream I know)
Watt
Matthews

We need more then 1 DE and a LB. We whiffed on one Matthews, lets not make that mistake again.

by Justin Kowalczyk on Feb 8, 2011 5:30 PM EST reply actions

this would be good, b/c without a WR, that defense will be on the field a LOT.

by discoinferno083 on Feb 8, 2011 5:41 PM EST up reply actions

Agreed. If there’s no wow factor at 6 on WR, DE or CB, trade down and grab Julio Jones before him and Bradford start tearing up the league.

by Don'tByBrownsQBJerseys on Feb 8, 2011 6:07 PM EST up reply actions

did you watch our new HC’s offense in STL? It was short passes that relied on YAC. Our biggest mistake last year on offense (of many) was having Robo and MoMass run deep routes despite their lack of topline speed. Having them run quick hitter routes along with sending Watson, Moore, and Hillis out for receptions will lead to a more productive offense.

by Justin Kowalczyk on Feb 8, 2011 6:32 PM EST up reply actions

Totally agree with this, but we need a guy who can run those deep routes so when the defense is used to seeing all those short quick plays, we can hit them with a bomb down the field. Without that threat, the secondary stays close and the LB’s do not get spread out, leading to an ineffective passing and running game, as the defense will know everything has to be up close. Get a threat and that makes our offense way more versatile, on top of being more productive.

by Don'tByBrownsQBJerseys on Feb 8, 2011 6:57 PM EST up reply actions

Well if Holmgren and Heckert have any pull why not woo Vincent Jackson here?
Draft for D line and LB, and hope to steal a late rd. WR to learn from Jackson,
LIke a Lester Jean out of Florida Atlantic
6’3", 211 lbs. 4.4 speed.
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=69194&draftyear=2011&genpos=WR

But a lot depends on the CBA…

by Brwnstown on Feb 8, 2011 7:15 PM EST up reply actions

i would be on board for a jackson pickup, for sure. instant impact, and he’s still relatively young.

and you’re right, we probably won’t hear a word about FA until after the CBA gets signed.

by DontCallMeJoey on Feb 8, 2011 8:19 PM EST up reply actions

Or instead of Lester Jean we could just use....

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=13222

Since he is already on the roster, is 6’2 215 lbs and ran a 4.49

by Justin Kowalczyk on Feb 9, 2011 6:06 AM EST up reply actions

Absolutely agree. Unless a good FA acquisition is in the works (and I have yet to hear any compelling / likely scenarios where we might pick up a really good FA WR), we need to pick up a WR preferably in the first two rounds IMO. I am still firmly on the A.J. Green bandwagon if he is there, and I also think Julio Jones is a great prospect. If we get a stud DE in the 1st round that’s great, but then I’d like to see us get a guy like Baldwin, Jernigan or Titus Young in the 2nd round.

Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing. -- Vince Lombardi

by burntorangeandbrown on Feb 8, 2011 7:20 PM EST up reply actions

And to be honest if nothing really great is at 6 and they can manage to move down, I wouldn’t mind a less sexy pick of Gabe Carimi and move him to RT to solidify the corners of the O line and the center for the next decade.

I don’t think we will hear a lot of FA talk until a CBA agreement is reached..

by Brwnstown on Feb 8, 2011 7:27 PM EST reply actions

you’ll never hear me argue against taking linemen in the first round.

by DontCallMeJoey on Feb 8, 2011 8:20 PM EST up reply actions

I wont most times, well mainly offensive line. The D side is trickier hitting on a stud in most cases..
But I figure if the Offense is closer to being complete, biggest needs RT, 1WR, RB, O line depth and a younger TE prospect.

Might as well trade down if a knock your socks off player is not there at 6. And I don’t think at 6 there will be one there we have to take.

So hopefully some team in the middle panics and wants to move up.

by Brwnstown on Feb 8, 2011 8:52 PM EST up reply actions

trade down always sounds good in theory … but extremely hard to execute in practice.

by DontCallMeJoey on Feb 8, 2011 9:07 PM EST up reply actions

I can agree with this.

In theory there is no difference between theory and practice.
In practice there is. -- Yogi Berra

by JustPlainBrowns on Feb 8, 2011 9:12 PM EST up reply actions

True, it all depends on teams under us, and how bad they want a player, and how paranoid they are that if they don’t move up someone else will grab him.

Or you always have a Moron like Ditka who gives away everything for a player they think will make them instant champions…LOL

by Brwnstown on Feb 9, 2011 6:20 AM EST up reply actions