Defensive tackle Desmond Watson could become the heaviest player ever drafted after stunning scouts at Florida’s pro day on Thursday.
The 6ft 6ins, 464-pound prospect was lauded by teammates and coaches after he benched 225lbs a whopping 36 times.
That topped any bench-press performance at this year’s NFL combine. Watson also covered the 40-yard dash in 5.93s and recorded 25ins in the vertical jump.
But the moment he stepped on the scale was as eye-popping as his bench press. He was listed at 449lbs last season, up from 435 pounds as a junior and 415 pounds as a sophomore.
The heaviest NFL players ever drafted were 380lbs – offensive linemen Trent Brown (Florida, 2015) and Daniel Faalele (Minnesota, 2022). Watson has them by nearly a hundred pounds.
‘He´s working to get the weight down. I feel like a team is going to take a sH๏τ on him. If I was them, I would. You don´t find too many nose tackles moving like him. Dez is a big, disruptive guy, and he puts in the work,’ defensive tackle Cam Jackson said.
Desmond Watson, the 6ft 6ins, 464-pound NFL prospect, turned heads at his pro day
Watson covered the 40-yard dash in 5.93s and recorded 25ins in the vertical jump
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Gators coach Billy Napier described him as a ‘unicorn’.
‘You´ll go the rest of your career and you´ll never be around a guy that´s that stature,’ he said, before explaining how Watson has managed his weight.
‘He´s had numerous nutritionists, position coaches, strength coaches, and I think this past year we probably executed the best we have,’ Napier said.
‘Ultimately, the guy´s frame score would indicate that he´s going to be a huge – that number´s always going to be pretty big. He´s 6-foot-6 and just the density, the bone structure. It´s just a big man.’
Watson never missed a game in his four seasons in Gainesville and his size and strength stood out during perhaps the most important day in his professional journey.
‘He moves way better than anybody thought he would at his size,’ fellow defensive tackle Joey Slackman said.
‘I don´t see why a team wouldn´t give him a chance. He´s a football player through and through; I would want that guy on my team.”
