This will only heighten Jets fans’ hopes about seeing Deshaun Watson in green come the end of April: The Clemson quarterback is receptive to starting his career with the embattled franchise.
“I wouldn’t mind it,” the national title-winning quarterback and two-time Hesiman Trophy finalist said Thursday on ESPN Radio. “I wouldn’t mind coming to New York.”
Though the Jets used draft picks each of the past two years on quarterbacks, neither Bryce Petty nor Christian Hackenberg has shown any indication he is the answer. Hackenberg, a second-round pick, did not appear in a regular-season game as a rookie.
Watson — considered by most to be one of the three best quarterback prospects in the draft, along with North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky and Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer — is a dual threat, an athletic runner who has improved as a pocket passer. He elevated the Clemson program, leading the Tigers past Alabama in January for their first national title in 35 years.
Watson passed on attending the Senior Bowl, preferring to focus on the scouting combine later this month. Browns coach Hue Jackson, overseeing one of the Senior Bowl coaching staffs, was disappointed; the Browns own the No. 1 and No. 12 picks. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has said Cleveland would be making a massive mistake by not taking Watson.
“If they pass on Deshaun Watson, they’re passing on Michael Jordan,” Swinney told reporters at the Senior Bowl. “I mean, I’m just telling you: I don’t know what the heck I’m talking about, I’m just an old funky college coach, but Deshaun Watson is the best by a longshot.”
The big knock on the 21-year-old Watson is his ability to throw from the pocket. He’s confident he’s improved in that area enough to succeed in the NFL.
“I feel like I can do it at the next level,” Watson said. “My experience and my results kind of speak for itself.”