Ourlads' Profile:
2024 Guide: What Ourlads’ NFL Scouting Services said about NATHANIEL WATSON:
Mississippi State | HT: 6022 | WT: 233 | 40 time: 4.63 | Arm: 3278 | Hand: 0978 | Wing: 8100
Three year starter. First-team All-SEC and consensus third-team All-America in 2023. Has been with the program for six years. Has size and length for the position. He’s an old school run stuffing middle linebacker. Notable instincts and run fits from alley to alley. He can attack downhill or shuffle and press. Takes a consistent path to the ball and can scrape to the alley to make a big hit. Knows how to throttle down to stay on the backside hip of a ball carrier to not overrun tackles. Squares up ball carriers at the right time on shuffle and press to the alley. Adept at stacking and shedding inline blocks with a quick, powerful punch to separate and get ball side leverage. Solid tackling skill especially in the box as he gathers, wraps with long arms and drives through tackles. Very low miss percentage. Effective as a downhill blitzer hitting inside gaps. Times the blitz well and can get to a quarterback with a closing burst. Playing zone he can spot up in a limited area and affect underneath throws. He’s not much more than that as hip tightness limits his ability to change directions, flip his hips, and find the throwing lane. More involved in gang tackles than solos as plays are extended. Can be a step late to outside running plays, especially if he’s working through a block to get there. A lot to like against the run, but he’s most likely limited to a base one or two down linebacker as cover skills are marginal. Will have to show he can play on special teams.
2023 Stats: 137 T, 13 TFL, 10 sacks, 2 PBU, 7 QBH, 2 FF, 1 INT. OSR:31/37. Draft projection: 5th-7th round