Jaylen Watson preseason review; That doesn't look like a 7th rounder

Examining how the rookie CB has surpassed expectations in several areas, where he needs work, and what's next on a defense with snaps for the taking

Jaylen Watson is causing problems for me.

It’s not that he’s playing poorly and I don’t want to write about it. In fact, it’s sort of the opposite. It’s the fact that I’m doing my best to not turn into a complete and utter wild-eyed optimist about the defense in this upcoming season, and he’s joining the ranks of players who are making that difficult.

The Chiefs are relying on a number of rookies on defense in 2022. We’ve talked repeatedly here about how difficult it is for first-year players to come in and play consistently well immediately. This is particularly true at cornerback and along the defensive line.

Yet George Karlaftis has looked good. Trent McDuffie has been close to perfect. And while I’m less bullish on Leo Chenal than most (he has work to do as a pass defender), he’s shown a knack for run fits and has brought the violence and physicality he promised. Bryan Cook has played fast and hasn’t made any crucial mistakes as the third safety (though Deon Bush is putting up a fight for the spot). It all feels far too good to be true, and I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Then I went and reviewed Watson’s film for the entire preseason and dangit if I’m not feeling more optimistic than ever about this crew than ever. It’s a problem.

A 7th round pick, Watson’s film impressed me when I reviewed it after the draft, showing a player who understands who he is and how to win utilizing his strengths (that review is unlocked if you’re interested). Most particularly, I closed with this:

He’s one to watch in training camp and the preseason, as he could be the surprise “better than expected” guy in this class early.

Watson has flashed a few times by breaking up passes and making a few big hits, so many of you asked me to take a look at his preseason film. As I’ve said ad nauseum, it’s not about a player’s highlights or lowlights, but what he does every single snap. And so, much like I did earlier this week with Chenal, I went back and re-watched every snap of Watson’s from preseason, charting his coverage snaps on a success/fail/neutral basis, looking at what happened when he was targeted, and tracking passes defensed.

And what I came away with is the nagging feeling that Watson might be the best choice for as the 4th CB for the Chiefs right now, with potential to do more down the line. Let’s talk some numbers and some film.