The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' draft class this year boasts some impressive roster additions, but that extends beyond the names we heard at the podium. Once again, the Bucs pieced together an impressive undrafted free agent haul, one that includes 400-pound defensive tackle Desmond Watson.
He's the heaviest player in NFL history, even after losing some weight and trimming down from 464 pounds to 437 pounds ahead of joining the Bucs at camp. Waston is already a viral sensation for obvious reasons but he recently gave some more subtle things for fans to get excited about.
Watson was a guest on NFL Network, and while explaining why he chose Tampa Bay, he said something that should excite Bucs fans everywhere.
"I looked at it as just being able to get the most out of my potential," Watson said. "Obviously they have [Vita Vea] there that I try to model my game after. He does it successfully and that's just a person I can look up to and learn a lot from."
DT Desmond Watson went undrafted… but now he’s headed to Tampa Bay.
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) May 2, 2025
He’s ready to prove himself with the @Buccaneers 😤 pic.twitter.com/YpCgkCyGXw
Buccaneers rookie turning into a Vita Vea clone would be an unbeatable cheat code
There's so much to love about that, not the least of which is that he's saying all the right things in terms of being a perfect locker room fit. It's easy for a rookie, especially one with some clout like Watson, to try and be bigger than their britches but it sounds like he has the right humble attitude coming into camp.
Not only that, but he's eager to learn which is a trait that can't be taught. Hearing that Watson wants to figure out ways to not only evolve his game but mold it to fit Todd Bowles' defense makes him sound like an even more perfect fit than he already was.
Of course, the main takeaway here is who he mentions. The Bucs already have a monster tackle in Vita Vea and if Watson fulfills his goal of turning himself into a Vita clone then Tampa Bay might have an unbeatable cheat code on the defensive lone.
Watson is already being called the 'Tush Push Terminator,' but pairing him with Vea could create a nearly impenetrable Great Wall of Tampa. Imagine an opposing run game trying to figure out how to get around that, or what a wrecking crew they could be in getting pressure up the middle.
That's nearly 1,000 pounds of human being on the defensive line, which is such a cheat code boost for the Bucs' defense.
He still has a long way to go, though, which he mentioned when discussing his journey. The fact that he's already saying all of the right things, and seems eager to learn the ways of the defensive Force from a Jedi Master like Vita Vea seems to suggest he's set up for serious success.
We'll see what happens over the next few months at rookie minicamp and then training camp, but it sounds like at the very least Bucs fans have a new favorite player to start investing in.
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