Steve Sarkisian on Ryan Watts, the Pittsburgh Steelers' sixth-round selection in the NFL Draft
Texas cornerback Ryan Watts heard his name called by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Saturday. Here’s what Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian had to say about his senior defensive back.
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“The Pittsburgh Steelers have long been known for their physical defense and they made a great choice in Ryan Watts as a player to help carry on that tradition,” said Sarkisian in a statement. “He is a long, big, physical corner who did great things for us. He’s a guy we played into the boundary and really put him one-on-one with a lot of teams’ best receivers there. He’s also a physical player in the run game who has pass rushing ability, blitzing from the corner spot. He’s very effective in the run game, as well as pressuring the quarterback, combined with having the length to force people to make contested catches in the passing game. Those are all attributes that are going to translate well to the NFL. Any time you’ve got the size, speed and skills that he possesses, there’s always going to be a market for that guy at the second level. The Steelers got them a great player who is all about being a great teammate who will give everything he has to help the team win. I know (Mike) Tomlin and everyone in Pittsburgh will love Ryan and I’m excited to see him in the NFL. He has a bright future as a player and is a tremendous person as well.”
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Watts was ranked as the No. 188 overall prospect, the No. 17 cornerback, and the No. 28 player in Texas in the 2020 On3 Industry Ranking, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. As a transfer, On3 ranked Watts as the No. 147 overall prospect and the No. 20 cornerback.
