Ryan Watts rookie contract figures with Pittsburgh Steelers revealed after 2024 NFL Draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected defensive back Ryan Watts, a former Texas Longhorn, with the 195th pick of the NFL Draft.

Watts was the Steelers second pick of the sixth round. (And he also proved to be the 10th Longhorn off the draft board).

He’ll receive a four-year contract worth $4.203 million. He’ll average $1.05 million per year.

Chances are, the Steelers will use Watts at safety, which is a Pittsburgh position of need. He told reporters that he had an inkling the Steelers would pick him.

“But everything was up in the air,” Watts said. “I felt like I left a good impression on the staff when I met with them at the Combine. I was just trying to do my best to show them I was worth the pick at the Combine, the Pro Day after that.”

Watts grew up in Little Elm, Texas, a town just north of Dallas. However, he initially left his home state to play for Ohio State. He transferred to UT for his final two years. And with the Longhorns, he played cornerback. He started 23 games in his last two seasons. Last season, when Texas reached the semifinals of the College Football Playoffs, he registered 38 tackles with one for loss three passes defended.

Earlier in the sixth round, the Steelers also went defense, selecting Iowa tackle Logan Lee.

Lance Zierlein, a draft analyst for NFL.com, wrote of the newest Steelers DB:

“Based purely on the cornerback tape, it would be easy to dismiss Watts as an NFL prospect. But once we fit the pieces together and project him as a safety, it changes the evaluation. Watts simply doesn’t have the quickness and agility to stay at cornerback with much success in man coverage. However, he’s already built like a safety and possesses tremendous length with a willingness to lean into the aggression for the position change.

“Watts’ measurables and demeanor will work in his favor, but his impressive NFL Scouting Combine testing should create additional push for his draft stock and chances of becoming a backup safety with core special teams value.”

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