Nathaniel Watson Gets Drafted By The Cleveland Browns In The Sixth Round Of The NFL Draft

The 2023 SEC Defensive Player of the Year will get his shot in the NFL as another Bulldog linebacker makes his way to the pros.

Nov 11, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs linebacker Nathaniel Watson / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

The 2023 Associated Press SEC Defensive Player of the Year Nathaniel "Bookie" Watson has been drafted by the Cleveland Browns with the 206th pick in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

He led the conference with 137 tackles and 10 sacks while starting all 13 games this season. Moreover, his tackles total ranked sixth in the FBS, and his sacks were tied for ninth. He has been the leader of the MSU defense for the past three years and has a lot of experience playing at the collegiate level. He finishes his college career as one of the most productive linebackers in SEC history and will look to transition that into the next level.

Watson will be an impact player no matter where he is on the 53-man roster. His work ethic and leadership ability makes him a great draft pick and according to ESPN’s Mel Kiper, Bookie can be one of the best off-ball LBs in this class.

He will follow in the footsteps of Willie Gay Jr., a player he sat behind in his early years at MSU, and Tyrus Wheat who went undrafted in last year's draft but now looks to be a major player for the Dallas Cowboys.

Player Info

• Jersey: No. 14

• Position: Linebacker

• DOB: September 1, 2000

• Hometown: Maplesville, Al

• Highschool: Maplesville Highschool

• Recruiting Class: Class 2018

• Recruiting Rating: 3-star prospect

• Did he play in an All-Star Game? Senior Bowl

Accomplishments

Appeared in 57 career games with 39 starts … Led the SEC in total tackles (137) and sacks (10) in 2023. He became the first Bulldog to lead the SEC in sacks since Montez Sweat in 2017. Watson is the only SEC player to lead the conference in both tackles and sacks in the same season.

• 2023 AP SEC Defensive Player of the Year

• 2023 First-team All-SEC (AP) (Coaches)(Phil Steele)

• 2023 Second team All-American (ESPN); third team All-American (AP) (Phil Steele)

NFL Combine/Pro Day

Height: 6-2

Weight: 233 pounds

Hand: 9 7/8 inches

Arm: 32 7/8 inches

Wingspan: 81 inches

40-yard dash: 4.63 seconds

10-yard split 1.59

Vertical jump: 31 inches

Broad Jump: 9-3

What They're Saying

Nathaniel Watson is a highly productive linebacker who had 250 total tackles over the last two seasons combined. He also has an old-school mentality as a run defender, showing a willingness to throw his body around and be physical when coming downhill.

However, there are questions about how Watson's production will translate to the NFL, as he lacks a lot of desired traits for a linebacker. His movement skills are subpar, which impacts his ability to cover and his range against zone runs. He also isn't a violent block-shedder and gets stuck too often for someone with his size and upper-body strength.

- B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

"Watson is a throwback linebacker with the size, length and demeanor to handle the physical nature of life between the tackles. He plays with good diagnostic quickness and will punch and separate from most climbing blocks. Tight hips and a lack of pursuit speed seem to limit his ability to eat with solo tackles once plays flow wide or enter open space. There are too many bumpy moments on tape to expect him to hold up in coverage, but he’s better than average at disrupting when used as a blitzer. Watson’s size and production in impact categories are impressive, but athletic limitations could put a cap on his NFL production."


- NFL Draft Analyst Lance Zierlein