Deshaun Watson Will End up a First Round Draft Pick, Why Not to the Giants?

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It’s starting to get into crunch time in the NFL draft season. This is definitely the time of the year when prospects want to start gaining a little momentum and heading up draft boards. I said from the start that former Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson would end up being one of the better prospects of this year’s draft at the position. Now, it seems like Internet world is starting to agree with me a bit.

CBS Sports released their latest mock draft this morning, and slotted Watson at #27 to the Kansas City Chiefs:

This might be an ideal scenario for both the Chiefs and Watson. Kansas City secures the future of the position and Watson goes to a winning organization where his skill set fits what the head coach wants to do on offense.

This seems to be a common theme across mock drafts, regardless of where Watson is predicted to land. “Securing the future” or “finding a quarterback to groom for the future,” as it were. This doesn’t appear to be a solid quarterback class. I’m starting to fall for the beautiful abilities of Mitchell Trubisky, but I’m not quite ready to announce full-blown mancrush just yet. The rest of the field comes with plenty of questions.

Where Watson excelled most was in producing big plays in big moments of games – always finding a way to somehow sink a perfect throw in clutch fashion. Sure, he put some pretty shitty decisions on film. That has been and is going to be the biggest knock on him moving forward. But, he’s an elite athlete who produced for the duration of his college career. He has the leadership intangibles that many prospects lack.

So, naturally, if he finds himself in a situation in which he can be groomed behind a high-caliber NFL quarterback, the sky’s the limit with this kid.

The Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears, New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans, and Washington Redskins all need a long-term solution at quarterback. I don’t think any of those spots are an ideal fit for Watson, and damn I hope the guy doesn’t end up in Cleveland.

Looking at the teams with aging quarterbacks who could feasibly start looking to the future this year, and your list is Los Angeles Chargers, New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Honestly, any of those teams could take a flier on Watson, and I wouldn’t be surprised.

But, if I’m the Giants, I don’t let the kid slide past #23.

Why? Well, a couple of reasons. First, this isn’t exactly a draft loaded with offensive line talent. It’s Ryan Ramczyk or bust, and even he isn’t a unanimously heralded NFL tackle prospect. Second, the Giants have done a solid job re-building an elite defense through the draft and free agency. So, is there really a pressing need on either side of the ball that would warrant reaching for perhaps a lesser-graded talent?

I don’t think so. Finally, Eli Manning is clearly in the twilight of his career. What does he realistically have – three? four seasons? If the Giants call me, I’m telling ’em to move on Watson quick. His abilities would definitely make the offense more explosive down the road.

Kyle Posey (@KP_Show) has an absolutely tremendous write-up on Watson. I’d highly recommend reading every bit of it if you’re a fan of one of these teams that are rumored to draft Watson.

Stoney Keeley is the editor of the SoBros Network, Tennessee Titans Featured Analyst for Pro Football Spot, Contributor to FanSided’s Bama Hammer, and covers the WWE for WrestlingNews.co. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley@PFSpot@WrestlingNewsCo@Bama_Hammer

Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork

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