FantasyPros will be taking a look at early NFL Draft scouting reports before the Combine in March. Here’s a look at Notre Dame defensive back Xavier Watts. And check out our entire 2025 NFL Draft Guide.
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2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Xavier Watts
Xavier Watts (DB – Notre Dame)
6-foot-0 | 203 Pounds
Background
Xavier Watts is a Nebraska native who redshirted the shortened 2020 season, then converted from wide receiver to the team’s rover role, finishing the year with 15 tackles in a reserve role. Started the last four games played in 2022 (366 snaps on the year), playing safety and posting 39 tackles and four breakups.
Won the Bronko Nagurski award in 2023 with 52 tackles, seven interceptions and four breakups. Watts was named an All-American for the second straight year in 2024 after recording 74 tackles, six interceptions and nine breakups heading into the National Championship game.
Positives
A highly productive two-and-a-half-year starter who only started playing safety full-time in 2022. Primarily (and increasingly) a high safety but has very extensive experience both in the box and in the slot as well. Those two roles combined for over half of his college snaps. Good pre-snap communicator. Shows quick feet and good balance in his backpedal to get depth as a single-high safety, which he was asked to play often.
Watts’ football IQ is a clear strength. Processes route combinations well and has sharp, clean transitions from backpedaling to breaking on a spot, playing with decisiveness to provide help over the top on throws down the sidelines. Aggressive ball-hawk with very good, natural instincts and excellent playmaking skills. Intercepted a total of 13 passes over the past two seasons without allowing a single touchdown.
Does a nice job of flattening out when playing off-coverage to squeeze the stem. Uses his hands well to disrupt releases at the line when playing from the slot, with good physicality. Solid athlete in man coverage, feeling routes well and showing good speed to stick with crossers. A willing run supporter who reads keys quickly as a high safety but can also come down into the box. Shows good suddenness to slip past would-be blockers. Cleaned up the missed tackles that cropped up at times in the 2023 season.
Negatives
A bit smaller than ideal for a box safety, despite his 2021 play as a rover. Can have trouble working through blocks in the run game; gets jolted on contact and struggles to disengage or takes sub-optimal angles to work around the congestion.
Generally a pretty reliable tackler, Watts had some issues in 2023. As a result of his aggressive ball-hawking, he will occasionally creep too far up in zone when playing as a robber, losing track of what’s developing behind him. Can sometimes get overly physical in man coverage from the slot, which didn’t lead to penalties in college but might get flagged more often at the next level.
Summary
An excellent ball-hawking high safety who plays fast as a result of his high football IQ, rapid processing and decisive style, Watts’ advanced and well-rounded play is even more surprising considering he’s only been playing safety full-time for a few years.
At his best when he’s able to get aggressive as a single-high safety, but his route recognition/anticipation skills translate to playing in the slot as well, and shows good physicality in run support from the box. A first-round talent in my book, but it seems like there’s a chance he slips into the second round.
Projection: Round 1/Round 2
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