Deshaun Watson plans to fully participate in NFL combine
Deshaun Watson is trying to approach everything leading up to the NFL Draft as having fun and enjoying the process while preparing for another once-in-a-lifetime moment.
Having accomplished his goal of winning a national championship at Clemson, the dual-threat quarterback said he’s working hard preparing for the draft. The next step is the NFL combine, where he anticipates being a full participant.
“That’s the plan,” Watson said. “Run, throw, meetings, everything.”
Six weeks after his last-second touchdown pass pushed Clemson past Alabama 35-31 in the College Football Playoff title game, Watson was presented his second consecutive Davey O’Brien Award as the nation’s top quarterback.
“It’s big, it’s huge, it’s life-changing,” Watson said of helping Clemson win its first national title since 1981. “Your whole life is on another stage, another level.”
Watson passed for 4,593 yards and 41 touchdowns to go with 629 yards and nine touchdowns rushing during the championship season. In three seasons at Clemson, he threw for 10,168 yards and 90 TDs.
The first repeat winner of the O’Brien since Oklahoma’s Jason White in 2003 and 2004, Watson also won the Manning, Johnny Unitas and Bobby Bowden awards, and was a Heisman Trophy finalist.
The NFL’s scouting combine begins next week in Indianapolis, and he’ll also have a pro day before the draft in April.
Watson said his emphasis is adjusting to the different terminology of the pro game, learning how to be a professional and being more technically sound at the quarterback position. Most early projections have Watson getting drafted in the first round.
“I’m hearing that. First round, anywhere in that range, top 10, top five, just depends on what the teams say,” said Watson, who is listed at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds.
“It’s something I can’t control. I just make sure I can control what I can control. Stay positive,” he said. “The height is the height. This is how God made me.”
This story was originally published February 22, 2017 at 1:17 PM with the headline "Deshaun Watson plans to fully participate in NFL combine."