Steelers Rookie Ryan Watts Has Clear Path to Roster
Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Watts has a clearer path to the roster after the team surprisingly released safety Trenton Thompson.
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers rookie Ryan Watts might be the rookie the team drafted with the most tenuous spot on the roster. It’s not hard to figure out why that would be the case, as Watts’ intrigue is a lot about the physical tools that allow him to be a versatile chess piece all over the football field.
He started the rookie minicamp at cornerback, but by the end of the mandatory minicamp, the Steelers moved him to safety. It seems that is where he will start his rookie season. Watts is a bit stiff in the hips but has excellent length, and the long speed translates into range and ball skills. But by playing as a primary press-man cornerback in his final years at Texas, his role in Pittsburgh will be more akin to what he did at Ohio State, which was as an overhang strong safety.
“I played slot at Ohio State when I was guarding Garrett Wilson in practices so doing it there and learning, I had learning curves then,” Watts said. “I have it in a sense of where I have learned from that and I know what to expect so I don’t have to jump over that curb.”
Before the Steelers released Trenton Thompson on Wednesday, I would have said that Watts could easily be on the outside looking in for one of the final roster spots. But now? The lane for him is clear. He must excel at special teams, but his body type is tailor-made for the new role on kickoff returns. And his experience at cornerback and safety would allow him to mesh well in sub-package football, too.
“They really just want me to try everywhere and see where they can put me in versatility-wise,” Watts said. “A couple of weeks I might be at safety and another week I might be at corner.”
So, it’s hard to find a much bigger winner after Thompson’s release than Watts. He has come along nicely and seems to be picking up the defense quickly. Now, it will be up to him to leap special teams while flashing at safety throughout training camp and the preseason to clinch a spot on the 53-man roster.
Read This Next
