Ryan Watts picked by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 6th round of the 2024 NFL Draft
A 10th Longhorn is off the board. Texas defensive back Ryan Watts was picked by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 6th round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Watts joins Byron Murphy, Xavier Worthy, T’Vondre Sweat, Jonathon Brooks, Adonai Mitchell, Ja’Tavion Sanders, Christian Jones, Keilan Robinson, and Jaylan Ford as selections in the NFL
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Watts was a participant in the East-West Shrine Game and practiced some at safety during the all-star game. He could stick at corner but explained in Frisco that h was open to a move to safety.
Watts, a 6-foot-3, 206-pounder from Little Elm, Texas, transferred to UT after spending two seasons at Ohio State. He started 23 of the 24 games he appeared in at Texas at the boundary corner position. In 2023, Watts played in 11 games and started 10. He had 38 tackles with 1.0 TFL and three passes defended.
During his first year in Austin, Watts was an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection by the league’s coaches and was also an honorable mention for the Big 12 defensive newcomer of the year. He played and started in all 13 games and tallied 51 tackles, four TFL, one sack, one interception, and three PBUs.
Prior to Texas, Watts played 19 games in two years with the Buckeyes. He played in all 12 games in 2021, starting the season opener. He tied for the team lead in interceptions with two. He played in seven games as a true freshman and recorded four tackles, helping the Buckeyes to the national championship game.
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Watts posted strong testing numbers at the NFL combine. At 6-foot-3 and 208 pounds in Indianapolis, Watts ran a 4.53 40-yard dash, vertical jumped 40.5 inches, posted a 10 foot 5 inch broad jump, and a 4.13 in the 20-yard shuttle.
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.
