No, Deshaun Watson did not make it into the top 10 of quarterbacks ranked by NFL coaches, executives, and scouts. However, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler found that Watson was, however, listed as an honorable mention on the list.
And while he still has much to prove, this means league officials still think the Cleveland Browns have a fringe top-10 quarterback under center.
The Browns gave up an awful lot in both draft capital and guaranteed money to lock Watson into their future, so they hope these NFL officials are also correct in their thinking. Here is what anonymously polled officials around the league had to say about Watson:
From an NFL quarterbacks coach:
“Keeping him out of the top 10 feels wrong… He’s too good. But putting him in the top 10 also feels wrong based on the play last year and the lack of play the last two seasons.”
From an NFC offensive coach:
“I saw improvement over those last two games, and I think he’ll be fine in that system… He’s still, to me, when he’s right, a top-five passer. He needs time on task.”
