4. Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans
Some quarterbacks just have “it.”
For the record, “it” matters at the QB position. That ability to walk into a huddle and immediately command the attention and respect of the ten men looking back at you. That respect and attention is not given, it is earned, over months and years of hard word and leadership.
In his final college football game, on a third and long situation, Deshaun Watson pulled the football down and began to scramble. Short of the first down marker, he came face to face with Reuben Foster, Alabama’s star linebacker. Watson never flinched:
Foster may have won the battle, stopping Watson short of the first down marker, but the quarterback won the war, as Clemson knocked off the Crimson Tide.
Watson inspires those around him with plays like this, and it continues to this day in the NFL. As he has developed as a passer and a QB, Watson displays on a weekly basis the ability to beat teams both inside and outside of the pocket. Under his leadership, the Texans have made back-to-back playoff appearances and secured two-straight AFC South titles.
Of course, there are questions about what Bill O’Brien is putting around him, such as trading away DeAndre Hopkins, but there is potential with a wide receiver room that includes Brandin Cooks, Kenny Stills, Randall Cobb, Will Fuller V and Keke Coutee. Tight end Darren Fells was a productive weapon for the Texans a year ago, and perhaps David Johnson, acquired in the Hopkins trade, can rekindle some of his past magic. If those pieces come together, Houston can take a big step forward under the leadership of their young QB.