Following the draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made several quick moves to sign some talented undrafted free agents. Among those players were defensive tackle Desmond Watson, who played four years with the Florida Gators. Watson was a big story at the college level because he played at 464 pounds while standing 6-foot-5.
After the Bucs signed him, those numbers continued to circulate, as everyone talked about his size. However, reports have emerged that Watson has already lost a significant amount of weight. Joey Knight of the Tampa Bay Times reported that Watson’s high school coach said the young defensive tacke is down from 464 to 437.
Buccaneers’ defensive tackle Desmond Watson has reportedly lost nearly 30 pounds
That’s a good sign, as Watson isn’t even in the building yet. That means he’s been working on his own to get his weight down some, and that process will only be aided by Tampa Bay once he’s in the building and working with the team. Of course, the Buccaneers will want him to remain on the larger side, as he is a nose tackle, but they’ll want to bring his weight down some to maximize his abilities.
In four years at Florida, Watson recorded 63 total tackles, including four for a loss, and 1.5 sacks over his career. His primary role is as a run stopper, lining up in the middle of the defense and making it hard for opposing teams to run up the middle. Watson was able to do that at the collegiate level with more than just his size, often using his strength and arm length to shed blockers and grab ball carriers.
Now, with the Buccaneers, he’ll have the opportunity to learn from Vita Vea, who is 6-foot-4, 347 pounds, and has thrived as a defensive tackle in Tampa Bay for seven years.