With the 2024 NFL Draft just around the corner, Memphis Tigers standout Blake Watson is on the brink of potentially joining the elite cadre of Memphis running backs in the pros—and he's got the numbers to back it up. Watson—who logged over 1,000 rushing yards in a single stellar season with the Tigers—has been a constant menace on the field, showcasing his talent as both a running back and a threat in the passing game, according to The Commercial Appeal.
Despite concerns over his size and speed the Tiger's multifaceted back impressed scouts with an unofficial 4.39 40-yard-dash at Memphis' pro day, tipping scales in his favor, and he's already met with several NFL teams before the draft, some mock drafts have him as a Day 3 selection and after earning the offensive MVP at the Hula Bowl and a standout performance at the East-West Shrine Game it's clear Watson is making a case for an opportunity at the next level.
Memphis Tigers Coach Ryan Silverfield appears to have no doubts about Watson's NFL potential, he was quoted in The Daily Memphian, affirming "Blake Watson is an NFL running back." Silverfield, who previously has seen the likes of NFL players such as Tony Pollard, Kenneth Gainwell, Darrell Henderson, Antonio Gibson, and even Adrian Peterson, has positioned Watson on a parallel track to success given his hands, agility, and smart play-making.
Silverfield is not alone in his assessment, ESPN’s draft analyst Matt Miller highlighted Watson's elusiveness, vision, and adept pass-catching ability, Watson who transitioned from receiver to running back has drawn comparisons to Antonio Gibson albeit with differing physicality, and Miller suggests Watson is an ideal fit for a zone scheme, per an interview with Action News 5.
While the 2023 draft left Memphis empty-handed, Watson is poised to kick off a new streak for the program, a sanguine note for a team that's churned out NFL-caliber talent with clockwork consistency in recent years and by this weekend, Blake Watson may just prove to be the next success story out of Memphis to grace an NFL roster.
