SI All-American Candidate Landyn Watson Highlights and Evaluation
Prospect: Landyn Watson
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-3, 240 pounds
Position: Defensive End
School: Hutto (Texas)
Schools of Interest: Virginia Tech, Tennessee, Baylor, Nebraska, Texas Tech, Penn State, Arkansas and Arizona State
Projected Position: On-Ball Linebacker
Frame: Broad shoulders and wide chest. Average definition. Thick lower half with wide hips and bubble.
Athleticism: Displays substantially better snap quickness when standing up in 2-point. Solid hip flexibility when clearing entry points as a pass-rusher. Adequate punch at the point of attack to set an edge versus tight ends. Good range to hunt and chases with good quickness to close and finish. Can finish with above-average thump.
Instincts: Can find ball quickly when he’s a play-side defender after the snap. Flashes some ability to skinny through double-team creases. Is alert to get his mitts up to disrupt passing lanes when rushing. Becomes a better player in 2-point stance and shows good speed-to-power potential.
Polish: Mainly plays left 4i, 5 and 6-technique from 4-point stance in a defense that mixes 3-man and 4-man fronts. However, pass-rush arsenal is raw and limited as a while, though occasionally flashes a stutter-and-go, chop, rip and 2-hand swipe. Is late at the snap routinely and has inconsistent play strength. Chop needs to be more violent and has limited cornering ability when squeezing to passers. Surrenders outside leverage versus the run.
Bottom Line: Watson has a good motor and linear closing speed to finish on ball carriers when he has space. While he plays in a 4-point stance currently, he’s better when he can stand up on the edge. Watson projects best as a stand-up on-ball linebacker in a collegiate defense.