The Ringer

After a brilliant college career, sterling performances in back-to-back national championship games, and an impressive combine, Deshaun Watson has all the narrative markers of a top selection come April. Just about every mock draft pegs the two-time Heisman Trophy finalist as a first-round pick, and many expect he’ll be the first quarterback off the board. Except for this one. While Watson is a proven winner with all the intangibles of a leader and big-time gamer that scouts look for, too much of his non-Alabama game tape doesn’t project well to the pros. He’s thrown 30 interceptions over the past two seasons, and defenses in the NFL are only going to be more opportunistic. His deep-ball accuracy has been inconsistent, and that will allow opposing secondaries to creep toward the line of scrimmage. Plus, there’s bound to be added concern about arm strength after he registered by far the lowest velocity on his throws at the combine. On top of all that, there’s his inexperience in a pro-style system taking snaps from under center.