Defensive lineman Desmond Watson showed off his football skills in front of a scout on Thursday's NFL Pro Day for the Florida Gators.
Listed at 464 pounds, Watson aims to make history for the NFL. If the franchise chooses Watson in next month's draft, he will be the heaviest player drafted in league history.
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Florida defensive lineman Desmond Watson will drill on Thursday, March 27, 2025 during school NFL Football Pro Day in Gainesville, Florida. (AP Photo/John Rouse)
Watson did not speak to the media after doing some training in Gainesville on Thursday. But Watson's teammates and coaches spoke on his behalf, celebrating the NFL Draft prospects for what they were able to achieve with the Gators.
“He's way better than everyone thought he was in his size,” said fellow defensive tackle Joey Slackman. “I don't know why the team doesn't give him a chance. He's a football player.
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Watson attended this year's NFL Scouting Combine, where he benched 225 pounds 36 times. He also completed a 40-yard dash in 5.93 seconds. Watson's vertical jump reached 25 inches.
Florida Gators defensive lineman Desmond Watson will be taking part in the drill during spring football practice at Steves Pallierfield at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida on April 1, 2023. (Matt Pendleton/USA Today Network)
Watson's size and strength stood out on the most important day of his professional journey.
“Dez, obviously he's a unicorn,” Florida coach Billy Napier said. “You'll go for the rest of your career, and you'll never be around a guy that's tall. And you'll get to know Dez. He's very clever. He has a great sense of humor. He's an amazing teammate.
“It clearly shows up in good condition today, so he gets his shot and I hope he makes the most of it.”
Watson rose 435 pounds as a junior and 415 pounds as a sophomore last season at 449 pounds. He first stepped onto campus in 2021, so he had to manage his weight.
Florida defensive lineman Desmond Watson stripped the ball on November 12, 2022 to recover his fumble against South Carolina. (Doug Engle/USA Today Network)
“He had a lot of nutritionists, a lot of position coaches, a lot of strength coaches. I think we've probably done the best we have over the last year,” Napier said. “And I thought he played his best football in his career. I think he generally learned a lot about habit building, self-discipline.
“In the end, the man's frame score would indicate he's going to be huge. That number will always be pretty big. He's 6 feet 6, density, bone structure. It's just a big guy.”
Watson never missed a game in his four seasons at Gainesville. But he has few highlights.
He tattered South Florida, running through Brian Batty in 2022, tore the ball out of South Carolina, and later that year forced fumbles and fumbles returned, retrieving Jaheim Bell's hand. Watson probably scored if quarterback Spencer Lattler missed an open field tackle.
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Watson finished his college career with 63 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
Offensive linemen Torrent Brown and Daniel Farelere are the heaviest NFL players ever drafted. Both players were £380.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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