I would think last season had to be frustrating for Carlos Watkins. Just a year prior, Watkins had been selected in the fourth round by the Texans, and went on to have a decent rookie season. In fact, he started the last four games of that season.
Carlos Watkins is a big ol’ dump truck on the field when the Texans let him play
The defensive end has a great chance to get his career back this year after he didn’t get much playing time last season ... for some reason.
Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images
Injuries to other players likely played a role in that, but Watkins played decent as a starter. He was stout as a run defender and he made 11 tackles in those four starts. The overwhelming majority of those tackles happened within three yards of the line of scrimmage, as well. He wasn’t perfect, but the guy made plays. By the time the season was over, he had amassed 21 total tackles in the 12 games he was active.
Then last season rolls around and the guy just couldn’t get on the field. He was only active for four games, and in two of those games he was in for just a handful of plays. He wasn’t even active for the playoff game after stuffing all of his production in the last week of the regular season.
The crazy thing to me is in that last regular-season game against the Jaguars, Watkins looked pretty much the same way he did in his rookie season on film. And that’s how he ended up with three tackles and a sack in the one game he actually played quite a bit. Mind you, he still didn’t even play a ton against Jacksonville; he just found the ball when he was in there.
In fact, every game he was active for, Watkins did some good things, no matter how many or how few reps he got.
He also had some plays where he at least could, if not should, have been credited with an assist. He was even able to get penetration a few times as a pass rusher, even though pass rushing isn’t his best skill. And yet, he was a spectator most of the year.
I can’t be sure what the deal was last season, but I do know Watkins should be in a better situation this year.
Christian Covington, who played a lot up front for the Texans in his first four seasons, has now moved on to the Cowboys. Someone will have to step up and take over those reps he normally would have played each week, and I don’t see any reason why Watkins can’t be that guy.
He’s 6’3 and 297 pounds, but somehow he looks bigger on tape. He also moves really well and hustles more than you might expect from a guy his size.
In his rookie season, Watkins surprised me a few times with his speed when he was trying to chase down a quarterback on a bootleg or he was running to the ball after it was thrown. I didn’t get to see him in the same situations last year, but I doubt he lost his wheels in one season.
But I will say Watkins’ main deal is power.
Whether playing the run or the pass, his go-to move is to just run through guys instead of around them.
He does a really good job taking on run blockers and either jacking them up at the line of scrimmage or driving their asses back into the backfield. And he makes sure to get full extensions with his arms, which allows him to come off those blocks once someone with the football is in the vicinity.
It was very enjoyable to watch some of his rookie tape and see him just crush blockers play after play, and then come off and make the tackle.
As a pass rusher Watkins is also a power guy, although he will mix in some finesse moves every once in a while. The main course, however, is definitely Watkins trying to mash an offensive lineman right back in the quarterback’s lap. That is exactly how he got his sack on Blake Bortles last season, too.
Now I don’t know that Watkins will ever be a big sack guy, but I do believe he can do a great job of pushing the pocket on passing plays. And that in and of itself can help not only the Texans’ pass rush, but also the coverage if the quarterback isn’t able to see down the field.
Watkins is like a big ol’ dump truck on the field.
With Covington gone, I have a hard time believing Watkins won’t at least be active every week this season. And one thing about it is when the guy plays, he is usually productive.
As long as Watkins can stay healthy I believe his numbers this year will dwarf what he did in his first two seasons combined. Because he runs to the ball, his tackles in particular should increase in a big way this season.
I don’t know what went wrong last year, but Watkins has a great chance to get his career back on track this season. If the Texans play him, I truly believe he will do just that.
Confidence level: Moderate
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