2022 NFL Draft: Ranking the Commanders’ best WR options on Day 2

1. Christian Watson, North Dakota State

North Dakota State’s Christian Watson has risen to second round status, a rise that I did not see coming, but after his dominance in Mobile and his insane test scores, Watson deserves to be No. 1 on this list.

At 6-foot-4, as a third-level pass-catcher, he’s one of the best in his class. He’s able to separate with good long speed but he’s also shockingly quick in terms of his initial burst as well. I liked what I saw after the catch too with him averaging 8 yards after catch per reception, I would like to see him win more often using his size at the next level, but from a broad perspective, Watson offers much more than “just” a go-route at this stage.

A quick sidenote before talking about his route-running, Watson was a fantastic kick returner as a Bison throughout his career, so with his arrival immediately comes a huge help on Special Teams.

He’s much more of a linear athlete right now, with not much versatility in his route tree, but he is far from athletically limited. He may need a season to develop learn the route tree from 0-10 yards out, but anything you ask of him at the deep second and third level of the passing game is not an issue for him.

Even then, he doesn’t have issues getting his depth no matter the call and didn’t show any struggles against press, so maybe this is a case of just not having the tape to see all of what he can do? Who knows. With a skillset that not only translates well to the next level, while providing the ability to contribute immediately, as well as immense upside, Christian Watson would be a home-run swing for the Commanders on Day 2.