Pittsburgh Steelers Pick Longhorns DB Ryan Watts With 195th Pick in NFL Draft

Texas Longhorns corner Ryan Watts has found his new NFL home with the Pittsburgh Steelers

Sep 9, 2023; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive back Ryan Watts (6) celebrates at / Gary Cosby Jr./Tuscaloosa News / USA

The Texas Longhorns are on a roll in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Through six rounds the Longhorns have now seen a school record 10-players get selected. That process started with Byron Murphy to the Seattle Seahawks in Round 1.

And now, it has continued with Longhorns cornerback Ryan Watts being selected No. 195 overall in the sixth round by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The expectation for Watts is for the 6-foot-3, 203-pound Watts to transition into a safety at the next level.

Texas Longhorns defensive back Ryan Watts (6) intercepts a pass in the end zone in front of Oklahoma / BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY

In his first year with the Horns in 2022, Watts was arguably the team's best corner, making 51 tackles with four tackles for loss, one sack and one interception in 13 games.

However, in 2023, Watts didn't quite have the statistical production that he produced in his first year in Austin. He played in just nine games in which he recorded 38 total tackles with three pass deflections on the year. He also accumulated a coverage grade of 62.3 on the year, which was significantly lower than his 70.6 from 2022.

Either way, the loss of Watts will be tough for the Longhorns to replace next season, especially considering the losses of Terrance Brooks and Austin Jordan to the transfer portal.

As for Watts himself, he will now be joining a Steelers secondary that already has some serious talent on board in T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward, Patrick Queen, Joey Porter Jr., Alex Highsmith, former Longhorn DeShon Elliott, and Minkah Fitzpatrick.

In other words, he will have plenty of time to adjust to his potential transition to safety while he gets adjusted to his new surroundings.