Raiders NFL Draft Prospect: S Xavier Watts, Notre Dame

The Las Vegas Raiders will evaluate several draft prospects over the next few months. Could Notre Dame star safety Xavier Watts be one?

Jan 2, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Xavier Watts (0) holds up the Sugar Bowl outstanding defensive player trophy after the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders are starting from scratch after firing both their general manager, Tom Telesco, and head coach Antonio Pierce. 

This allows the Raiders to enter a full-fledged rebuild, allowing a new general manager and head coach to come into 11 2025 NFL Draft selections and the second-most cap space in the NFL. 

The next general manager must also make decisions on the team’s impending free agents. The Raiders have many, including both their starting safeties. 

If the Raiders lose Tre’von Moehrig, Marcus Epps, or both, they could replace them in the draft. 

One of the top safety prospects in the draft is Notre Dame’s Xavier Watts. His excellent play has helped the Fighting Irish make a deep run in the College Football Playoff. 

A former wide receiver and linebacker, Watts finally found his footing at safety in 2022. In three years of playing the position, he totaled 157 tackles, eight for loss, 17 passes defended, two forced fumbles, one and a half sacks, and 13 interceptions. 

Watts led the nation in interceptions in the last two seasons. He won the Bronko Nagurski Award in 2023, given to the best defensive player in college football. Watts is also a two-time First-Team All-American. 

The Fighting Irish star is 6 feet tall and weighs 203 pounds. He has solid versatility in the defensive backfield, as he can play the center fielder safety spot but also close to the line of scrimmage. His linebacker background allows him to deliver big hits. 

Watts is the type of player every defensive coach will want on their team. He plays hard-nosed football, has a high IQ, can play almost any secondary position on the field, and, best of all, he forces turnovers. No one has had more interceptions in the last two seasons in college football than Watts.

The Raiders could use Watts in the Silver and Black. He could quickly become a defensive cornerstone. He would likely be playing for a new defensive coordinator, as Patrick Graham’s contract has expired, and he is now interviewing with other teams. 

One area Watts must improve in is athletic training. He is a good athlete but is not a great mover. He has stiff hips that sometimes do not allow him to play as well as he could in coverage. 

There is a lot to like about Watts as a football player and a potential leader. He is the exact type of player the Raiders could use to kickstart a rebuild.

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