One of the most productive safeties in college football, Notre Dame’s Xavier Watts is going to hear his name called early in the 2025 NFL Draft. Watts is a playmaker in the back end and has the talent to be an immediate contributor to an NFL team.
Xavier Watts’ Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 6’0
- Weight: 203 pounds
- Position: Safety
- School: Notre Dame
- Current Year: Senior
Watts’ Scouting Report
Watts is from Omaha, Nebraska, and played high school football at Omaha Burke High School. He was a two-way star, excelling at both wide receiver and defensive back.
Watts was viewed as a four-star recruit and pursued by many colleges to play on the offensive side of the ball. And he ultimately signed with Notre Dame as a wide receiver, spurning offers from Iowa, Iowa State, and Kansas.
Watts redshirted as a true freshman in 2020 spending his time on the scout team. And in 2021, he switched from offense to defense, moving to play a hybrid safety role.
Watts played sparingly that season and spent most of his time as a backup. In 2022, he earned the first start of his career, filling in for injured safety Brandon Joseph.
Watts enjoyed a breakout season in 2023 as the Fighting Irish’s full-time starting safety. He led the country in interceptions with seven and was named a unanimous All-American.
Now fully on the radar of NFL decision-makers, Watts entered the 2024 season with plenty of excitement and expectations. He delivered with another strong year and was a key reason for Notre Dame reaching the CFP National Championship.
Strengths
- Outstanding ball skills and hands to make plays on the football in coverage
- Tremendous ball production throughout his college career and looks to score when he has the ball in his hands
- Outstanding instincts and football I.Q. to key and diagnose route patterns and read the quarterback
- Good size and length to compete in man coverage against longer receivers at the next level
- Good short-area quickness to plant and drive forward to make plays on the football
- Very good range overall in the back end of the defense and can make plays redline to redline
Weaknesses
- Inconsistent angles to the football in run pursuit
- Fails to break down and come to balance when triggering downhill to make the tackle, which leads to missed tackles
- A bit stiff in his lower half; he struggles to change direction at the breakpoint in man coverage, which allows the receivers to separate and create space
Current Draft Projection and Summary
A true ball hawk in the back end of Notre Dame’s defense, Watts was one of the most impactful defenders in college football over the past two seasons. He’s an exciting NFL prospect who offers very good size, length, and athleticism.
Watts is a versatile defender who displays the ability to play single high, as a split safety, and down in the slot. A ball magnet, he’s a highly productive player who has the ability to impact the game and create turnovers.
Watts is an excellent coverage player who excels because of his rare instincts and ball skills. He’s outstanding at recognizing route patterns and being able to quickly read and diagnose the play in order to get a jump and affect the throw. Watts can read the quarterback’s eyes, flow to the football, and put himself in position to make the play.
It’s clear why Watts was a coveted receiver coming out of high school, as he makes intercepting passes look easy. He adjusts to the football very well and displays good hands and body control to come down with the turnover. His ball production is outstanding, and being able to pick off a pass rather than just bat it down is highly attractive for NFL decision-makers.
While he is experienced in both, Watts is a better player in zone coverage compared to man-to-man. As a zone defender, he allows his awareness and feel in the back end to shine while showing good short-area quickness to plant and drive on the football.
In man coverage, Watts utilizes his length and movement skills to compete at all three levels of the field. He struggles at the breakpoint as he displays some tightness in his lower half, and quicker receivers are able to create separation.
Watts is tough and physical in the run game, displaying a quick trigger to come downhill and make tackles near the line of scrimmage. He’s able to diagnose runs quickly and shows no hesitation when working to the football. If anything, Watts comes in with too much aggression and urgency, as he will often fail to break down when coming to balance to make the tackle.
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Watts is a bit over aggressive in pursuit and takes inconsistent angles to the football, which leads to room for cutbacks. But overall, he’s an excellent player who has immediate starter ability at safety. His instincts, ball skills, and ability to play sideline to sideline are all outstanding, and he has the type of playmaking ability to change the course of the game.
I expect Watts to be one of the first safeties off the board and will likely hear his name called very early on Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft.