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INDIANAPOLIS — North Dakota State offensive coordinator Tyler Roehl was in the stands Thursday night at Lucas Oil Stadium to watch former Bison wide receiver Christian Watson post an electric 40-yard dash time in front of a national audience.
Roehl was not surprised when he saw the 6-foot-4, 208-pound Watson was unofficially clocked at 4.28 seconds in the 40 at the annual NFL Scouting Combine, which is being televised on the NFL Network.
“We see it every day,” Roehl said. “There’s always a little bit of doubt in everyone else's mind from an outsider standpoint of ‘There is no way it’s that fast,’ but when you can see and really feel his speed in person it’s almost like it’s effortless.”
Watson's official 40-yard time was later posted at 4.36 seconds, the sixth-fastest among wide receivers. Overall, he posted historic workout numbers for a receiver of his size since 2003, according to Next Gen Stats.
“Pending his official numbers, Watson is expected (to) enter the draft as one of only three receivers to measure in at 6'4-plus & earn a 90-plus athleticism score in the NGS Draft model,” Next Gen Stats posted on its official Twitter feed.
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Athleticism scores for the wide receiver class are official.
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) March 4, 2022
NDSU's Christian Watson earned a max-99 athleticism score after running a 4.36 forty at 6'4-208 + 11'4" broad jump. Notre Dame's Kevin Austin Jr. & Baylor's Tyquan Thornton also earned "elite" scores.#NextGenScores pic.twitter.com/STz4ARBzw3
North Dakota State WR Christian Watson ran an unofficial 4.28-second forty at 6'4-208 lbs.
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) March 4, 2022
Pending his official numbers, Watson is expected enter the draft as one of only three receivers to measure in at 6'4+ & earn a 90+ athleticism score in the NGS Draft model.#NextGenScores pic.twitter.com/k0rd7jDDov
Watson ranked in the 99th percentile for receivers 6-4 or taller. Former Detroit Lions great Calvin Johnson in 2007 and Stephen Hill in 2012 are the only other two receivers to rank in the 90-plus percentile in athleticism for receivers at least 6-4.
“The kid is so smooth when he runs, it’s not really like he’s ever straining, he’s such a premier athlete, so to come and do it on this stage in front of everyone was really special,” Roehl said.
Watson also had an impressive standing broad jump with a leap of 11 feet, 4 inches, which is the seventh-best broad jump among wide receivers since 1999, according to Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus. Watson added a 38.5-inch vertical leap.
“He just continues to improve and he’s truly committed to excellence and being the best at what he does,” Roehl said. "His best football is in front of him and it’s because he’s all into this and he’s truly working to perfect his craft.”
Watson’s NDSU position coach, Bison wide receivers coach Noah Pauley, was also in Indianapolis with Roehl.
Watson played 52 career games for the Bison, catching 105 passes for 2,140 yards and 14 touchdowns. He averaged 20.4 yards per reception and played on three NCAA Division I FCS national championship teams for NDSU.
In his final season with the Bison, Watson had 43 catches for 801 yards and seven touchdowns in 12 games. He also rushed for 114 yards and one touchdown on 15 attempts. He missed three playoff games due to a hamstring injury, but returned for the national championship game in which he had four catches for 61 yards.
“He’s so invested," Roehl said. "A high-capacity kid, low ego, who is working hard to be the best.”
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Roehl compared the way NDSU used Watson to the way the San Francisco 49ers use wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who was used often in the San Francisco running game to go along with his pass-catching skill.
During his NDSU career, Watson rushed for 392 yards and two touchdowns on 49 attempts, averaging 8.0 yards per carry.
“This is another big moment in NDSU history because we are old school per se,” Roehl said, referring to NDSU power run-based offense, “but also we’re almost new school in the fact with how we used Christian. It was almost like Deebo Samuel for the 49ers.”
Roehl said it was a thrill to watch Watson showcase his athleticism on a stage like the NFL Scouting Combine. Watson also performed well at the Senior Bowl in early February in Mobile, Ala., where he was recognized as a practice player of the week.
“He definitely capitalized and made the most of his moment,” Roehl said. “He rose to the occasion. He was prepared and ready, he embraced it, he attacked it and he capitalized in a big, big way.”
Dang, it’s very possible NDSU will have back-to-back 1st Rd Draft picks. Christian Watson kill’n it!!!
— Ben Leber (@nacholeber) March 4, 2022
.@NDSUfootball WR Christian Watson is the new leader in this year's broad jump with a 11'4" 😳
— NFL (@NFL) March 4, 2022
📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/M70H4TRphF
NDSU WR Christian Watson flying too, with a 4.28 40 yard dash#NFL #NFLDraft #NFLCombine pic.twitter.com/TWEpxxdvvF
— Tom Downey (@WhatGoingDowney) March 4, 2022
Good Lord, @NDSUfootball WR Christian Watson just jumped an 11’4 broad. 7th furthest jump by any WR at the combine since 1999
— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) March 4, 2022
Gotta catch 'em all
— NDSU Football (@NDSUfootball) March 4, 2022
HAVE A DAY @ChristianW2017
📺 See it all live on the @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/jGyr8cQrTF
If times hold and projected splits are anywhere near this, Christian Watson could own a 10.00 #RAS, ranking just below Calvin Johnson.
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 4, 2022
WR has two 10.00 scores because we have more than 2,000 players in the group. pic.twitter.com/LkF0xI1lce
