Christian Watson is known for his speed and big play ability as a vertical threat. But his knowledge of the game and versatility to line up across the formation are what gives him a truly high ceiling as a wide receiver.
An important part of the Matt LaFleur offense is that the receivers are able to move around pre-snap and able to fill a variety of pass-catching roles. Having this element can create favorable matches for the offense, and specifically in Watson’s case, with the attention that he draws and the space he opens up with his speed, his presence can generate opportunities for others.
“What’s so unique about Christian is,” said Matt LaFleur before Monday’s practice, “you can line him up at the Z and tell him the next play when somebody might out, hey you got to go play F, or you got to go play X, and he doesn’t blink. And that’s tough for most guys to do, to switch your brain around like that.
“If we call a different formation, usually your Z receiver is out at No. 1, and you call a formation to put him in the slot is different than saying you’re the F and put him inside. I just think that his ability to do that is unique and is a great asset for us because it gives us a lot of flexibility of who we want to get in the game with him.”
The big downfield reception that Watson and Jordan Love were able to create on Monday was, in part, a product of pre-snap motion. By moving Watson around, it allowed him to get matched up with Innis Gaines. And while Gaines held up as best he could, that is a matchup that is always going to favor Watson.
Last season, about one-third of Watson’s total targets, came when he was lined up in the slot. He was also one of the more efficient slot targets in football, catching 16-of-22 passes at 2.29 yards per route run, which ranked 15th among all slot receivers, according to PFF.
Along with lining up both inside and out and motioning, during the NFL Owners’ Meetings back in March, LaFleur said that Watson was not only going to take on a larger role at receiver in terms of targets or snaps but also in the variety of routes he’s asked to run. Again, this will only make him more difficult for defenses to match up against.
“A lot,” said Watson when asked what his versatility brings to the offense. “It adds a lot of value to my game. It opens up a lot of opportunities for me to create mismatches and make plays. I really like being able to do all those things.”
The data and recent history suggest that many successful wide receivers in the NFL see a significant production jump in their second season. Given that Watson is still relatively inexperienced, there may be additional ups and downs coming his way. However, the opportunity for a Year 2 leap will be there for Watson. With the offseason roster changes he has been elevated to WR1. He’s now in his second year in the LaFleur system, and he can impact this offense in a wide variety of ways with his ability to move around and run a number of different routes.
“He just seems like a much more confident player,” added LaFleur, “and I think we saw that take shape last year about halfway through the season. You have to remember, I think any time you’re a young player and miss all of training camp, essentially, that’s tough, that’s difficult.
“Just him being healthy. He had a really good offseason. Just our knowledge with our offense, he is one of the most intelligent players that I’ve ever been around, especially when you talk about the wide receiver position.”