Seahawks bringing in 2023 SEC Defensive Player of the Year for top 30 visit

Nathaniel Watson starred at Mississippi State as a linebacker.

The Seattle Seahawks know a thing or two about drafting Mississippi State players. Could they have interest in another one?

Nathaniel Watson was the AP’s SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2023, and he is set to meet with the Seahawks in a top 30 visit.

Watson played six (!) years at Mississippi State. He redshirted in 2018 and had an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hence his long collegiate career. After earning second-team All-SEC honors in 2022 with 113 tackles and 6 sacks, Watson leveled up in 2023 with 102 tackles (35 solo), 10 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and an interception on his way to first-team All-SEC (in addition to the aforementioned SEC DPOY award).

Here’s the Bleacher Report scouting report’s rundown on Watson:

POSITIVES

— Highly productive and a sure tackler with very few misses when tackling in the box.

— Physical run defender. Not afraid to throw his body around and has some pop behind his pads.

— Decent instincts versus zone runs. Will occasionally be quick to key and diagnose to help beat offensive linemen to the spot.

— Has some upper-body strength to get extension on blocks.

NEGATIVES

— Subpar movement skills overall that affect his coverage skills and ability to cover running backs and tight ends. Will also get juked out by ball-carriers when tackling in space.

— Limited range versus outside runs due to a lack of speed and agility.

— Takes on blocks with high pad level, which can lead to conceding ground against good run-blocking offensive linemen.

— Isn’t violent when trying to shed blocks. Often gets stuck even against tight ends.

Summary

Nathaniel Watson is a highly productive linebacker who had 250 total tackles over the last two seasons combined. He also has an old-school mentality as a run defender, showing a willingness to throw his body around and be physical when coming downhill.

However, there are questions about how Watson’s production will translate to the NFL, as he lacks a lot of desired traits for a linebacker. His movement skills are subpar, which impacts his ability to cover and his range against zone runs. He also isn’t a violent block-shedder and gets stuck too often for someone with his size and upper-body strength.

Ultimately, Watson may need to have a good showing in training camp and make a name for himself on special teams to land on a 53-man roster as a rookie.

It should be noted that Watson has had a couple of off-the-field incidents, including a drag racing incident in 2018 and a DUI arrest last year.

Getting back to football, Watson did attend the NFL combine, measuring 6’2 and 233 pounds, with a 40-yard dash of 4.62 seconds. He was not an exceptional tester based on the Relative Athletic Score, but that’s also not a make-or-break factor for someone’s NFL prospects.

The Seahawks have drafted Mississippi State players in each of the last two seasons: Cameron Young in the fourth round of the 2023 draft, and Charles Cross with their first-round pick in 2022. Of course, the last Miss. St linebacker the Seahawks drafted was none other than K.J. Wright in 2011.

Watson is projected as a late Day 3 pick. Take a look at some of his highlights in the videos below: