He might have dropped a touchdown on his first play of scrimmage, but Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson still flashed his elite speed during his NFL debut.
According to Next Gen Stats, Watson was one of the five fastest ball-carriers during Week 1 of the 2022 season.
The rookie from North Dakota State reached 20.82 miles per hour on a 7-yard run during the second quarter on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium. Only three players – Steelers receiver Chase Claypool, Giants running back Saquon Barkley and Bengals running back Joe Mixon – reached a higher speed with the ball in their hands than Watson during Week 1.
There’s no doubting Watson’s speed. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.36 seconds at 6-5 and over 200 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine. And on the first play of Sunday’s defeat, he roasted Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson on a double move and created what should have been a 75-yard touchdown to start the game.
Per Next Gen Stats, Watson had a full 3.5 yards of separation as Aaron Rodgers’ pass arrived. He ran right past Peterson and was in the clear, but the rookie just couldn’t haul in the throw.
It’s unclear how fast Watson was moving on the drop. But the guess here is that he was going faster on that play than the 7-yard run later in the game.
Both Rodgers and Matt LaFleur said the Packers wanted to “showcase” Watson’s speed. Mission accomplished. He needs to finish plays, but his incredible burst and stride length should make him one of the fastest straight-line receivers in football, a legitimate deep threat and – as his speed on the gadget play showed – a dangerous weapon with the ball in his hands.
Watson, the 34th overall pick, finished his NFL debut with two catches for 34 yards and one rush for seven yards.
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