[painekiller]

JJ Watt

JJ Watt DE Wisconsin
TALENT BOARD
Round 1

STRENGTHS
JJ has the size, strength, foot quickness and football intelligence to be an impact defensive player for the team that drafts him. He has a variety of moves to get himself free, get into the backfield and disrupt a running play or passing play. JJ can play in any style defense, inside or outside. He is a smart player and understands situational football. He shows leadership skills in his play on the field and makes the players around him better. JJ does a good job defending against the run at the college level. He can engage, shed blocks and make the tackle with the best of them. JJ loves to rush the passer and has a quick first step and burst off the line. He fights through double teams and triple teams to get pressure on the QB. If you try to block him on passing downs with a single block, JJ will make you pay and then he will make a play. JJ reminds me a lot of Chris Long (DE Rams) who was the #2 draft choice in the 2008 draft.

CONCERNS
JJ has trouble changing directions, which will limit his ability to play as a pure pass rusher in a 4-3 defense. He has an excellent burst off the line of scrimmage and quick hands, but doesn't keep using those skills until he gets to the QB in the pocket. Don't get me wrong: the effort never stops, but his techniques do after his first initial move off the line of scrimmage. This has to do with a lack in confidence in his balance and change of direction skills. Right now, he does not shed blocks quickly enough to make the tackle in the hole on the running game for the next level. He also plays too high in 2 gap situations and will be moved off the line at the next level easily. These are techniques issues that with time, JJ will work through without a problem.

BOTTOM LINE
JJ will not get any better staying at the college level. He needs some time to work through the bad habit of just using athletic talent and strength to defeat his opponent. He has to learn to use all of his techniques until the whistle. Right now, he will burst off the line using his athletic abilities and techniques and once he gains the advantage, he follows through with his talent; however, he forgets to continue to use his hands and techniques. JJ is the type of player you have to draft high and then wait for his work ethic and techniques to click in with his athletic talents. Once that happens, in most cases, you get a Pro Bowl defensive end. I do think that 3-4 teams will rate JJ Higher than 4-3 teams because JJ is better rushing the passer from the inside than he is coming from the outside. JJ is athletic enough to rush from a stand up position and he can fall back in the short zones to defend against the pass. As long as JJ goes north and south, he gets wherever he wants to go on the field very quickly. When he changes direction is the area in which he needs to learn some new techniques to mask his lack of change of direction skills. JJ also has a lot to learn in defending against the run. He is just way too high and does not indentify were the ball is quickly enough to shed his block and make a play. Right now, he is trying to use just strength to defeat his opponent and this will not do at the next level. You need more than just effort and strength at the next level. I think JJ will do it and become a complete defensive lineman given the time to progress and some really good coaching. There is too much potential not to draft JJ at any point in this draft especially if your team uses a 3-4 defense. In a 3-4 defense, JJ could be something special. JJ Watts...he never stops.
The BS Detector
Drew Boylhart Feb/11 thehuddlereport.com

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Player Rankings
Overall Position Rank
14 3
Complete Prospect Rankings

Mock Draft Positions
Rang Reuter Prisco Judge
18 (SD) 26 (BAL) 10 (WAS) 16 (JAC)
Complete Mock Drafts
Overview

Few players transfer from a Mid-American Conference program like Central Michigan to a Big Ten program like Wisconsin after one season. Even fewer change positions during transfer redshirt seasons and become starters. Watt may be the only one in recent memory to become an All-American, consensus All-Big Ten pick and Lott IMPACT Trophy winner in that situation because of his tackles for loss, sacks and three blocked kicks.

The all-state pick from suburban Milwaukee took a scholarship offer from CMU and played in every game at tight end as a true freshman (eight catches, 77 yards). After the season he transferred back to Wisconsin and redshirted as a walk-on while dominating practices enough to be named the team's defensive scout player of the year. He received a scholarship and started all 13 games as a sophomore for the Badgers, making 15.5 of his 44 behind the line of scrimmage, 4.5 sacks and five passes defensed.

Some teams might consider Watt an inside-outside 'tweener. With additional strength training, he is a prime candidate to play the five-technique position in the 3-4 base defense. His combination of size, hustle and intelligence could land him a spot in the top 40 overall selections.
Analysis

Pass rush: Relentless rushing the passer in obvious passing situations whether lined up inside or outside. Gets extra attention from opponents. Most dangerous when anticipating the snap and swimming over guards/centers inside. Spins off blocks to get outside after initial contact or pushes through doubles inside. Gets his hands into throwing lanes, using his height and length to knock down or affect passes. Nimble feet allow him to twist inside. Bounces back after initial contact, keeps his balance to find the ballcarrier. Knocks tight end off route before making his rush. Often lined up outside the tackle, can bull-rush and get corner at times against college right tackles but needs to continue improving his flexibility to beat NFL blockers.

Run defense: Active against the run. Able to stack and shed to get to outside runs, and is strong and agile enough to move down the line to be involved in inside runs. Displays some nice change-of-direction ability for his size to mirror ballcarriers trying to elude. Gives very good effort containing misdirection and bootlegs on the edge, though quicker NFL ballcarriers will beat him to the edge. When inside, has quickness to penetrate and gets his hands up quickly to maintain distance from the blocker but fails to keep his body square to the line and gets pushed out of the play.

Explosion: Flashes quickness off the snap and willingness to pop and knock back opponents. Able to penetrate gaps with a nice first step and works through double-teams with aggressiveness when lined up inside. Has enough closing speed to explode into ballcarriers and force fumbles. Doesn't have the typical explosive first step of most rush ends because of his girth and lack of ideal height. He is considered an explosive player on every down because he has arguably the strongest punch and most effective hands in the class.

Strength: Flashes strength to shed blocks and bull through double teams, but must gain muscle in both his upper and lower body to hold his ground at the next level. Can be pushed off the line by double teams, typically when turned sideways. Works with his hands against blockers, looks to potentially be good in this area. Can play too high when lined up inside to win the leverage battle.

Tackling: High-effort tackler with long arms and growing strength. Gets low despite his height to mirror and wrap up ballcarriers. Quarterbacks do not want to feel his explosive tackling in the backfield. Doesn't leave his feet, though he stretches to make a lot of ankle tackles other linemen couldn't make.

Intangibles: Excellent character and work ethic. Won the Lott IMPACT Award for integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community and tenacity among college defenders. Began the Justin J. Watt Foundation to help schools fund athletic programs, does quite a bit of community work. Academic All-Big Ten in 2009 and 2010. Brother Derek is scheduled to play football at UW in 2011.

Compares to: Adam Carriker, Redskins -- People were impressed with Watt's combine performance, but scouts saw very similar results from Carriker four years ago. Carriker seemed to fit Washington's 3-4 scheme well in 2010, so Watt's career might get off on the right foot if he can find a similar situation.

--Chad Reuter

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