5 bold predictions for the Vikings 2020 training camp
By Chris Schad
Watts will find his way into the rotation at three-tech
Among the round of opening week interviews, Vikings co-defensive coordinator Andre Patterson gave his usual impassioned speech in defense of Shamar Stephen.
Although Stephen provides virtually nothing in terms of stats, Patterson believes he is the perfect fit for what Minnesota wants to do defensively. The issue is, there may be a better alternative behind him in Armon Watts.
Watts was a sixth-round pick by the Vikings in the 2019 NFL Draft, but he was seldomly used throughout the season even as the team struggled to generate interior pressure. It took a meaningless game against the Chicago Bears in Week 17 for Watts to see the field on a regular basis and his performance in that contest showed plenty of potential.
Given a chance to produce, Watts was the sixth-highest graded defensive tackle in Week 17 by PFF and his 7.1 pass rusher productivity rating ranked 24th among all defensive tackles. There are a couple of grains of salt to be taken with these statistics though as many players were rested across the league in Week 17 and Watts only had 21 pass-rushing snaps.
His performance did show a lot of potential and with Michael Pierce’s decision to opt-out of the upcoming season, it should open a chance for Watts to see the field more in his second season to spell Stephen on passing situations.