Following in his big brother’s footsteps, Derek Watt is now a member of the NFL after he was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in Round 6 of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Needless to say, J.J. Watt was stoked when his little bro was finally taken off the board.
Yeahhhh!!!!!!!!!!!
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) April 30, 2016
The Chargers took Watt No. 198 overall.
He has a chance to make a big impact in San Diego’s run game, too.
At 6-foot-2, 236-pounds, Derek isn’t as big as J.J. but still knows how to make holes for his running backs going up against linebackers.
In four years at Wisconsin, Watt showed himself to be an able pass catcher out of the backfield with 30 catches for 309 yards and a touchdown. He added another 60 yards on 13 carries, which shows how little he was used as an actual runner in Wisconsin’s scheme.
If he makes the cut on San Diego’s final roster, he’ll likely be the guy who helps Melvin Gordon get into his groove after a rough rookie campaign in 2015. The dynamic duo are being reunited after a year apart, as Watt helped Gordon rush for 2,587 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2014.
Needless to say, this was a great pick by general manager Tom Telesco, who hasn’t exactly made a bunch of those in his short tenure in San Diego.