Longhorns Country

Pittsburgh Steelers Pick Longhorns DB Ryan Watts With 195th Pick in NFL Draft

Texas Longhorns corner Ryan Watts has found his new NFL home with the Pittsburgh Steelers

Matt Galatzan

Sep 9, 2023; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive back Ryan Watts (6) celebrates at
Sep 9, 2023; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive back Ryan Watts (6) celebrates at / Gary Cosby Jr./Tuscaloosa News / USA
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The Texas Longhorns are on a roll in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Through six rounds the Longhorns have now seen a school record 10-players get selected. That process started with Byron Murphy to the Seattle Seahawks in Round 1.

And now, it has continued with Longhorns cornerback Ryan Watts being selected No. 195 overall in the sixth round by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The expectation for Watts is for the 6-foot-3, 203-pound Watts to transition into a safety at the next level.

Texas Longhorns defensive back Ryan Watts (6) intercepts a pass in the end zone in front of Oklahoma
Texas Longhorns defensive back Ryan Watts (6) intercepts a pass in the end zone in front of Oklahoma / BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY

In his first year with the Horns in 2022, Watts was arguably the team's best corner, making 51 tackles with four tackles for loss, one sack and one interception in 13 games.

However, in 2023, Watts didn't quite have the statistical production that he produced in his first year in Austin. He played in just nine games in which he recorded 38 total tackles with three pass deflections on the year. He also accumulated a coverage grade of 62.3 on the year, which was significantly lower than his 70.6 from 2022.

Either way, the loss of Watts will be tough for the Longhorns to replace next season, especially considering the losses of Terrance Brooks and Austin Jordan to the transfer portal.

As for Watts himself, he will now be joining a Steelers secondary that already has some serious talent on board in T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward, Patrick Queen, Joey Porter Jr., Alex Highsmith, former Longhorn DeShon Elliott, and Minkah Fitzpatrick.

In other words, he will have plenty of time to adjust to his potential transition to safety while he gets adjusted to his new surroundings.

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Matt Galatzan

MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com, AllAggies.com, and the Managing Editor of BuckeyesNow.com and TheGroveReport.com He is also the Editor-In-Chief of RamDigest.com and TexansDaily.com. Galatzan graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration.  Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry under Mike Fisher at DallasBasketball.com in 2014, which at the time was part of the 247Sports network. He also spent two years covering the SMU Mustangs for PonyStampede.com on the 247Sports network.  When DallasBasketball.com and CowboysCountry.com moved over to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, Galatzan followed suit, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com and AllAggies.com a year later.  Through the years, Galatzan has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, former Longhorns players Dan Neil and Phil Dawson, and many other recruits, and current/former players for each of the teams he has covered.  Galatzan is also a full-time employee in the digital media department for Audacy and KRLD FM's 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, which is the official radio home of the Dallas Cowboys.  You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan For any inquiries, please email matt.galatzan@gmail.com