It didn’t take long for Green Bay Packers veteran receiver Randall Cobb to see the enormous potential of second-round pick Christian Watson.
A few days of OTAs helped open Cobb’s eyes to what Watson – the 34th overall pick and the team’s highest draft selection at receiver since 2002 – brings to the table.
“He has the total package. Just being around him for the past week, and seeing some of the things he can do, he has all the tools and he’s very gifted,” Cobb said Tuesday.
Cobb has been around many of the receiver greats in recent Packers history, including Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, James Jones and Davante Adams. He knows gifted when he sees it.
Could Watson be next? He is an athletically gifted wide receiver who was used in a variety of ways and consistently created big plays at FCS powerhouse North Dakota State. In Green Bay, he’ll have an opportunity to make an immediate impact, possibly as a vertical threat – replacing Marquez Valdes-Scantling – or maybe more, if everything comes together quickly and he earns the trust of Matt LaFleur and Aaron Rodgers.
Cobb, now entering his 10th season in Green Bay and 12th overall in the NFL, said he is at OTAs to help set the standard in the wide receiver room for all the young players, including Watson.
Cobb’s advice for Watson? Take it slow, enjoy the process and know it will all take time.
“It’s about applying it, taking stuff he learns in the classroom and taking it to the field. He has the tools, it’s about refining the tools. It takes time, it’s not going to happen overnight,” Cobb said.
To get on the field, Watson must learn the offense and get comfortable with all the nuances of the passing game. It’s a steep hill to climb for a rookie player.
Watson said he’ll keep picking Cobb’s brain during the install periods of the offseason workout program.
“I’m leaning on each one of those guys because I know they know a lot more than me,” Watson said. “They want the best out of me regardless of the business of the NFL. I’m trying to pick everyone’s brain.”
