Austin Watkins Fantasy Football Rookie Profile
There are a lot of reasons to get excited about wide-receiver prospect Austin Watkins from Alabama-Birmingham (UAB). Watkins is a rare combination of size, speed and athleticism showing the potential to be a consistent contributor for an NFL team and the fantasy football rosters of managers savvy enough to dig deep for prospects.
College Production
He jumped onto the national radar after a breakout season in 2019 for the Blazers. Watkins caught 57 passes for 1,092 yards and six touchdowns that season. He averaged 19.2 yards per reception in an offense not defined by their ability to throw deep. In seven games this past season, he hauled in 33 receptions for 466 yards and three touchdowns.
In 2019, Watkins finished ninth in Conference USA (C-USA) in receptions, third in receiving yards, fourth in receiving yards per reception and sixth in receiving touchdowns.
Film Review: Strengths and Weaknesses
The athleticism of this 6-3, 210 prospect jumps off the screen. He is twitchy, moves well running east to west, and has fluid hips that allow him to glide around the field. He is not the fastest straight-line runner, but has good short-area quickness. Watkins has a nice first step off the line of scrimmage and can cut an impressive slant on a defensive back. He has sticky hands, adjusts well to off-target passes and holds on to the ball through contact.
At the next level, he will be asked to be a more physical runner and develop his route tree further. He does not always put his body in a position to win, despite having the ability to be more physically dominant than most defensive backs he faced off against in C-USA.
QB | RB | FB | WR | iWR | TE | LT | RT | OG | OC | DT | NG | 3-4 DE | 4-3 DE | 3-4 OLB | 4-3 OLB | ILB | CB | iCB | FS | SS
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