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*Walt taking 2014 and 2018

Charlie Campbell, Senior Draft Analyst Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell for updates. Led all NFL media in draft rumor accuracy in '15, '16, '17, '18, and '20 Led all NFL media in correct picks for the 2017 and 2019 NFL Drafts 2021 NFL MOCK DRAFT - WALT'S | CHARLIE'S ROUND: 1

Deshaun Watson's Draft Stock Plummeting

Entering the 2016 season, there was a lot of hype for Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson. He was coming off a prolific sophomore campaign in which he led the Tigers to the National Championshipand played extremely well in a loss to Alabama. After that performance, the media ramped the hype train even more to the point where they were pushing Watson as a top of the draft talent and future franchise quarterback.

As a junior, however, Watson has had a disappointing season in the eyes of NFL evaluators, so WalterFootball.com reached out to sources from around the league to survey where Watson was being graded. The majority of teams have Watson on the second day of the draft, and only one team expected Watson to be a first-round pick.

Two teams that were in the playoffs last year both have third-round grades on Watson. A general manager of one of those playoff teams said they had a late third-, early fourth-round grade on Watson. The reason leading to Watson being graded in that portion of the draft is a lack of accuracy this season. All season, Watson has had accuracy and ball-placement problems.

One team that is in the market for a young backup quarterback said that they had a second-round grade on Watson. However, they said that Watson could easily move up or down. If he continues to struggle, they think he could end up falling lower like other quarterback prospects similar to Connor Cook, who had accuracy issues, but that team believes that if Watson starts playing better, he will rise given the insatiable demand for quarterbacks in the NFL. 

A college scouting director of a NFC team said this about Watson, "Deshaun has been off all year. Last year's Alabama game showed accuracy and touch, but not this season. Great intangibles, good athlete, and skills to develop. Because of the need for quarterbacks I think he still has a shot at being a first-round pick."  

That result would be similar to Teddy Bridgewater in the 2014 NFL Draft, as teams across the league had him graded on day two, but the Vikings moved back into the end of the first round to take the highly media-hyped Bridgewater.

All of that being said, there is still a long way to go in the draft process. The combine, team interviews, pro days, and private visits will have a big influence on where Watson goes. Considering teams love Watson's character, work ethic, and leadership skills on and off the field, it wouldn't be surprising if he improves his draft grade during that process when team general managers and coaches get to know him. However, the fact that some teams are grading Watson as a mid-round pick should lead to him thinking of returning for his senior year and working on his accuracy before going to the NFL.