Packers Sign Second-Round Pick Christian Watson

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers announced they signed Christian Watson, the receiver selected in the second round of this year’s draft.

With that, all 11 picks are under contract before the rookies are set to report to training camp on July 22 and a week before the first practice on July 27.

Watson was the 34th overall selection and the second pick of the second round. The sticking point for Watson and a few other players taken at the top of the round was guaranteed money.

The 34th pick of the 2021 draft also was used on a receiver, with the Jets selecting Elijah Moore. For the first time at No. 34, the first three seasons of Moore’s contract were fully guaranteed.

The 37th pick of this year’s draft, Texans safety Jalen Pitre, got every penny of the first three seasons of his contract fully guaranteed.

With the bar moving on guaranteed money, players such as Watson wanted a portion of Year 4 guaranteed. According to a source, Watson indeed received some guaranteed money for the final season of his four-year, $9,241,031 contract.

In April’s draft, the Packers gave up their two second-round picks, Nos. 53 and 59, in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings to move up to No. 34 for Watson, the North Dakota State receiver with the startling blend of size and speed. He caught 43 passes for 801 yards (18.6 average) and seven touchdowns as a senior and returned two kickoffs for touchdowns as a junior.

Watson’s father, Tim, was drafted by the Packers in 1993.

“It was surreal,” getting the phone call of a lifetime, Watson said after being drafted. “I’ve been playing this game since I was 4 years old. This is something that I’ve dreamed of since then. It was surreal. Obviously, to be able to be at such a successful and such a dominant and great organization is amazing, and I’m excited to be on the Packers. Obviously, being able to catch passes from one of the best to ever do it is something I’m definitely excited about. I feel like I’m going to be able to learn and grow a lot through not just him but all the other receivers and everyone else in the organization as well. I definitely couldn’t be more excited to go at it with Aaron Rodgers.”

While the legendary Jerry Rice as well as Rams star Cooper Kupp found stardom after playing FCS competition, Watson would have to defy some recent odds. But Watson is bigger and faster than most of his peers, and he will have the built-in advantage of having Rodgers as his quarterback.

“It’s amazing,” Watson said of playing with Rodgers at minicamp. “He looks like he’s just kind of chilling out and it’s just kind of a leisure throw and it comes out at you 100 miles per hour. He puts it in the right spot 99.9 percent of the time.”