Fans finally got one of their draft wishes: The Cleveland Browns and Andrew Berry selected Mississippi State linebacker Nathaniel Watson with the sixth pick, adding a linebacker. This pick intrigues me because the interesting player Watson is who, as an off-ball linebacker, had 10 sacks in 2023.
Watson is likely to replace Sione Takitaki as the strong-side linebacker and has the skill set to be a great special teamer. He was a productive player in college, though he is limited as an athlete overall. Watson has great size and length, and his explosiveness off the snap, specifically as a blitzer, is impressive.
Cleveland needed help as a linebacker and someone who could take some special teams snaps. Watson is a solid pick late in the draft. Anyone who has the skillset to add more pass rush as a bonus is good in my book and the pick earns a B from me.
How do you grade the pick of Nathaniel Watson in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft?
