Eric Watts (born October 1, 2000) is an American professional football defensive end for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at UConn.
_(cropped)_Eric_Watts.jpg) Watts with UConn in 2022 | |
| No. 58 – New York Jets | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive end |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | October 1, 2000 Sumter, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Weight: | 277 lb (126 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Sumter (Sumter, South Carolina) |
| College: | UConn (2019–2023) |
| Undrafted: | 2024 |
| Career history | |
| |
| Roster status: | Active |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Early life
editFrom Sumter, South Carolina, Watts attended Sumter High School where he played football and basketball, being selected to the Offense–Defense All-American Bowl in football while helping the team win county and region championships.[1] As a senior, he had 8 1/2 sacks while helping Sumter win ten straight games.[2] He committed to play college football for the UConn Huskies.[3]
College career
editWatts began seeing extended action at UConn as a true freshman in 2019.[4] He appeared in all 12 games that year and totaled 30 tackles.[5] The team's 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2021, Watts played 10 games while accumulating 39 tackles.[6] He appeared in 13 games in the 2022 season and posted 49 tackles while leading the team in both tackles-for-loss (10) and sacks (7.0), additionally blocking two kicks and having two forced fumbles.[1] He had 34 tackles and two sacks as a senior in 2023 and was invited to participate at the 2024 Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine.[7][8]
Professional career
edit| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 5+5⁄8 in (1.97 m) |
274 lb (124 kg) |
35+3⁄4 in (0.91 m) |
9+3⁄4 in (0.25 m) |
4.67 s | 1.65 s | 2.73 s | 4.38 s | 7.48 s | 36.5 in (0.93 m) |
9 ft 9 in (2.97 m) |
21 reps | |
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[9][10] | ||||||||||||
Watts signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent on May 3, 2024.[11] He was also selected by the Memphis Showboats in the fifth round of the 2024 UFL draft on July 17.[12] Watts notably made the Jets' initial 53 man roster out of training camp as a UDFA.
References
edit- ^ a b "Eric Watts". UConn Huskies.
- ^ Fuller, Jim (March 7, 2019). "Speedy Watts, DeVaughn looking to thrive in new UConn scheme". New Haven Register.
- ^ Brunson, Dennis (December 18, 2018). "Sumter High's Watts is UConn bound". The Sumter Item.
- ^ Putterman, Alex (August 12, 2019). "Freshman Eric Watts settling into pass-rush role, plus other UConn football notes". Hartford Courant.
- ^ Arruda, Joe (August 5, 2023). "'Working through the dirt,' UConn defensive lineman Eric Watts sets sights high for senior season". Hartford Courant.
- ^ Adamec, Carl (August 7, 2023). "UConn football's Eric Watts has been loyal, now senior ready to lead Huskies, chase NFL dreams". CTInsider.com.
- ^ "Eric Watts College Stats". Sports-Reference.com.
- ^ Dexter, CJ (February 14, 2024). "Huskies in the Pros: Haynes and Watts invited to combine, Bouknight released by Charlotte". The Daily Campus.
- ^ "Eric Watts Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ "2024 NFL Draft Scout Eric Watts College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ Greenberg, Ethan; Pullano, John (May 3, 2024). "Jets Sign 17 Undrafted Free Agents". NewYorkJets.com.
- ^ "2024 UFL College Draft: Showboats select Kansas QB Jason Bean with No. 1 pick". FoxSports.com. July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.