Green Bay Packers second-year wide receiver Christian Watson has been turning heads during training camp. Being healthy this offseason has certainly helped him focus on improving his game and the work that he has put in throughout the offseason is shining through during camp.
Watson is known for his blazing speed, a weapon the Packers are assuredly going to take advantage of. But, he wants to become a more well-rounded receiver to take his game to the next level. That has already been on display as Watson’s presence has been felt in the red zone, where his speed is negated given the compressed space.
The coaching staff has certainly taken notice of the changes in Watson’s game. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur recently commented on how much more confident the North Dakota State product looks and lauded his intelligence level, too.
“Just seems like a much more confident player. I think we saw that take shape last year, halfway through the season. Any time you’re a young player and you miss all of training camp essentially, that’s tough, difficult,” LaFleur said Monday. “Him being healthy, he had a really good offseason, and just his knowledge of our offense. He’s one of the most intelligent players I’ve ever been around, especially at the wide receiver position.”
Watson ended the 2022 season with a bang, bouncing back after a brutal first half in which he battled drops and injuries. Once he got his legs underneath him and was healthy, he showed why the Packers were so excited about landing him in the second round of the draft.
From Week 10 on, Watson was one of the most dominant receivers in the NFL. He recorded three 100-yard games and caught all seven of his touchdowns in the final eight games of the season.
That momentum is something he is looking to carry over into the 2023 season. The Packers have big plans for him, as a huge breakout campaign could be on the horizon.
“LaFleur said the Packers can line up Watson at the “Z” on one play and then move him to “F” or “X” on the next play without him having an issue. He called it a “unique” ability that gives the Packers a lot of flexibility in terms of personnel at receiver,” said Zach Kruse of Packers Wire.
Locked and loaded into a prominent role in the Packers’ passing game, Watson is going to become a household name during the 2023 season for even the most casual of football fans.
