Quez Watkins (Southern Miss)
Quez Watkins made significant waves at the NFL Combine with a blistering 40-yard dash time. The former Southern Mississippi star clocked 4.35 seconds to finish second at the position behind Alabama speedster Henry Ruggs III.
While that might not stand the test of time once a full evaluation of his ability is carried out, Watkins has enough potential to warrant a mid-round selection next month. He has the pace to burn and can easily take the top off defenses in the right system.
Watkins’ final college campaign was nothing short of sensational. He led all Conference-USA receivers this past season with 1,165 yards and went first of Southern Miss’s all-time list.
This also included 66 receptions, six touchdowns, and an 18.7 yards-per-catch average. Watkins possesses the sort of explosive potential that every NFL team craves and is a big play waiting to happen.
Whether the player can make a successful transition to the NFL immediately remains to be seen. There is plenty that Watkins needs to refine and needs to get better of catching the ball under pressure.
The Minnesota Vikings traded away their primary downfield threat when problematic receiver Stefon Diggs was sent to the Buffalo Bills. Watkins has an enormous amount of potential and if the player can harness his speed in an effective way in the pros, then the sky is the limit.