Rookie Report Card: Deshaun Watson and C.J. Beathard
Each week throughout the season, I’ll cover at least two rookies in the Rookie Report Card and try to always include the biggest performers from that particular week. On top of reviewing my expectations for each player coming into the league and covering how he’s performed at the NFL level to this point, I’ll actually give him a grade in three categories. Those categories are performance to date, 2017 potential and long term upside.
The series continues with a look at a pair of signal callers, Deshaun Watson and C.J. Beathard
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Deshaun Watson, QB HOU
Week Six Stats: 17/29 passing, 225 yards, three touchdowns, one interception, six carries, 24 rushing yards
Watching Watson play while in college, it was difficult not to root for him. A born leader, he willed Clemson to wins at times and posted numbers so gaudy, they looked like something off a video game.
I didn’t become a Watson fan until late in his sophomore season when he led the Tigers to the National Championship Game but came up short against Alabama. He was brilliant against the Crimson Tide in the title game that year, putting the team on his back late in the game and nearly pulling off the upset single handedly.
Still to this day, I have no idea how Watson wasn’t the Heisman Trophy winner that year after completing 67.8% of his passes for 4,109 yards, 35 touchdowns and just 13 interceptions while also running for 1,105 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Watson finally slayed the dragon that was the Crimson Tide in the National Championship Game as a junior and his overall numbers were equally as dominant despite doing more with his arm as compared to his legs than earlier in his college career. Once again, he was clutch and saved his best performances for the biggest games.
Despite being known for his mobility and rushing, anybody watching him play in his final college season saw a noticeably improved pocket passer. Poised, with impressive footwork to slide away from the pass rush and put himself in the position to deliver the ball on time, he showed improved accuracy and an impressive mix of arm strength along with the ability to feather a throw over a linebacker and in front of a safety when necessary. Also showing incredible toughness, he’d regularly stand in and take a hit as he released a pass which isn’t always the case with quarterbacks as athletic as Watson. Also noticeably more accurate while on the run in his final year with the Tigers, he showed strides both inside and outside the pocket with each game that passed in his college career.
Despite many being critical of the offense he played in and the lack of professional reads he was forced to make as well as his inconsistent accuracy – particularly on deep passes – Watson did everything he was asked to do as a college quarterback and excelled at it. Those steady improvements along with his incredible leadership skills made him my favorite quarterback prospect during rookie draft season.
In super-flex leagues, I had Watson as the number eight overall pick in rookie drafts and took him at picks eight and ten in two of my drafts. Through his first six games as a Texan, it appears he certainly belonged as a first round pick in such leagues.
So far as a rookie, Watson is completing 61.5% of his passes and has thrown for 1,297 yards and 15 touchdowns while throwing just five interceptions. Meanwhile, he’s added more than 200 rushing yards and two more scores on the ground. All that adds up to a top-three fantasy quarterback no matter the league format. In fact, in many leagues Watson is the top scoring quarterback in fantasy football.
To put that in perspective, compared to last year’s rookie sensation at the position, Dak Prescott, Watson has had at least an equally impressive start to his fantasy career through six games.
According to DLF’s October ADP, Prescott (QB11) and Watson (QB13) are being seen by many dynasty owners as equals already. Although that seems about right, I already feel those two ADPs should be flipped, and Watson should be considered the better dynasty asset. I also wouldn’t argue with anybody that wants to rank him higher.
Playing with poise in the pocket, delivering the ball to his playmakers, attacking the deep part of the field and making plays with his legs, Watson appears to be on his way to being considered one of the top quarterback assets in dynasty. Although I’m sure he’ll have his ups and downs, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him valued in the same light as Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston (both top-five quarterbacks according to ADP) as soon as the end of the 2017 season.
In the three years I’ve done the rookie report card at DLF, I don’t believe I’ve ever awarded an A+ in all three categories I grade. I don’t think I’ve ever even considered it until this week.
There’s a first time for everything.
C. J. Beathard, QB SF
Week Six Stats: 19/36 passing, 245 yards, one touchdown, one interception, one carry, 14 rushing yards
Having watched Beathard play regularly throughout his two seasons as a full time starter at Iowa, I was extremely surprised when the 49ers selected him in the third round of the NFL draft.
Although he showed good arm strength and above average accuracy along with strong ball security and underrated skills outside the pocket while with the Hawkeyes, he was extremely timid when delivering the ball which was maddening to watch at times. Often choosing to hold the ball rather than delivering it to an open receiver, he seemed skittish when pass catchers had defenders in the area. His indecisiveness also forced him to take far too many sacks while in Iowa City. At times appearing anchored deep in the pocket, he had trouble avoiding the pass rush by sliding up or from side to side despite being relatively athletic.
Beathard appeared to me as a very similar – although more athletic prospect – as fellow Big Ten signal caller Wes Lunt, who went undrafted this year out of Illinois and was a camp arm for the Vikings during the off-season. Needless to say, I didn’t have high hopes for his dynasty upside.
After watching Beathard in the pre-season, where he completed 57.8% of his passes and three touchdowns while throwing just one interception and adding a rushing score, I continued to struggle see an NFL quarterback so you can imagine my surprise when Beathard was inserted into the lineup for Brian Hoyer in week six.
I was even more shocked when the former Hawkeye nearly led the 49ers to a come from behind victory against the Redskins.
Beathard showed a few positives in the loss. He was decisive, getting the ball out on time far more than I ever remember him doing in college. He also showed relatively good accuracy on both short and intermediate throws, good decision making and ball security, and pushed the ball down the field well – which was another question mark I had on him coming out.
Honestly, I was mildly impressed with Beathard on Sunday. He showed improvement in many of the areas that appeared to be weaknesses in college. Despite those strides he continued to show deficiencies however, particularly with his accuracy as he missed throws high with regularity.
Overall, Beathard’s first playing time didn’t go badly but I still question whether he can be more than a backup in the NFL. Much of the production he posted on Sunday can be attributed to blown coverages by the Redskins and receivers bailing him out by climbing the ladder to make catches on high throws.
Already named the starter in San Francisco, Beathard has immediate value in 2QB and super-flex leagues and will likely hold that value for the remainder of 2017 as there’s no reason for them to bench the young guy in a lost season. But with the 49ers likely to have a very high draft pick next April it would take big time production from Beathard over the next few months for the team to pass on a quarterback in the draft and free agency.
If I owned Beathard in super-flex and didn’t need a starter, I’d gladly trade him for a second round rookie pick. Furthermore, I’d much rather have Brett Hundley or Jacoby Brissett if I did need a starter.
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