Packers Host Christian Watson, Son of Former Draft Pick, on Predraft Visit

Christian Watson, an FCS All-American receiver and returner at North Dakota State, is the son of former Packers draft pick Tim Watson.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – On April 26, 1993, the Green Bay Packers selected Tim Watson in the sixth round.

On April 28, 2022, the Packers could draft his son in the first round.

North Dakota State’s Christian Watson, the most insanely gifted receiver in the draft class, had a predraft visit with the Packers, according to a source, and could be part of the multipronged plan to replace two-time All-Pro Davante Adams.

At 6-foot-4 1/8 and with 4.36 speed in the 40, Watson was a man among boys at the FCS powerhouse. In four seasons in the Bison’s run-first offense, he averaged 20.4 yards per reception, 8.0 yards per rushing attempt and 26.4 yards per kickoff return.

So, how did this freakish athlete with NFL DNA wind up at North Dakota State?

“I was a late bloomer in high school,” Watson said at the Scouting Combine. “I didn’t really shoot up until my junior year. I went from 5-9, 140, to 6-1, 160, in a matter of months. So, I was a late bloomer. I just didn’t get that interest early from any Power 5 schools, big schools, and North Dakota State came in. They were one of the first schools that was talking to me and I fell in love with the program early and they fell in love with me, and I was a hundred percent committed to them.”

With size matching skill, Watson grew into one of the top receiver prospects in this year’s draft.

“Christian has been playing football since he was 3 years old. I literally built him from the ground up knowing the game of football,” his father, who changed his last name to Wajed, told InForum.com. “He’s a football player. His football IQ is off the charts. He needed to develop physically at NDSU. Jim Kramer, the strength coach, that's what he needed. Christian was still growing physically when he got to NDSU.”

Watson redshirted as a freshman in 2017 and caught nine passes in 2018. Mentored by former Packers receiver Darrius Shepherd, Watson had a breakout sophomore season with 34 receptions for 732 yards and six touchdowns. In 2020, he was a first-team all-conference pick at receiver and a first-team All-American kickoff returner with his two touchdowns. In 2021, he was an All-American as a receiver (43 receptions for 801 yards and seven touchdowns) and all-purpose player (1,142 total yards; 16.8 yards per touch).

What separates him in a crowded group of receivers?

“I’d say everything about me, honestly,” he said. “My size, my speed, my versatility. Being able to do it all. I don’t think there’s a lot of guys that have the same skillset that I have and I’m going to continue to prove that.”

While Watson is an elite size-speed prospect, as evidenced by his Relative Athletic Score, which is on par with the legendary Calvin Johnson, there are holes in his game. Like just about every receiver prospect, he needs to get stronger and there needs to be more polish added to his game; most of the small-school cornerbacks he faced were terrified of his speed, so they played off. He’ll have to learn how to routinely beat press-man in the NFL.

He also dropped too many passes, though at least there was noticeable improvement with five drops and 43 catches in 2021 vs. 11 drops and 62 catches his first three seasons. With enormous 10 1/8-inch hands, there’s no reason to ever drop a pass.

“Two points I’ve been trying to grow and continue to get better at throughout this process and throughout college, as well, has always been my speed at the top of my routes,” Watson said. “I’m a fast guy vertically, just being able to incorporate that into the intermediate routes as well. Then obviously catching is something I always try to improve on as well, eliminating focus and concentration drops and just being able to make plays.”

For Watson, he’s just a couple weeks from being the family’s next professional football player. His father played in 13 games for the Chiefs, Giants and Eagles in the 1990s. Older brother Tre Watson, who in 2018 had five interceptions and led the Big Ten in tackles for Maryland, is a linebacker for the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes.

“From the day I was born, I’ve been around football. It’s a love and a passion,” he said at the Senior Bowl. “My entire family’s life revolves around football. I just have a different love for the game of football. I really don’t see life for me outside of football in some way, shape or form. It has pushed me to try to be the best player I can be and make a name for myself and represent my family well by making a name for myself.”

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