'Just a big man': 198cm, 210kg 'unicorn' signs NFL deal with Tampa Bay

Former Florida defensive tackle Desmond Watson, a 198cm, 210kg prospect, is signing with his hometown Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent.

Watson, who grew up in Plant City about a half-hour outside Tampa, announced the move on social media. He had been hoping to get selected in the later rounds of the NFL draft.

He would have become the heaviest pick in NFL history. But no team gambled on the supersized run-stopper.

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The Bucs, though, took a chance by signing him after the draft ended. He will get about $70,000 AUD guaranteed, the Athletic reported, including a $28,000 AUD signing bonus.

Watson wowed NFL scouts last month by repping 102kg (225lbs) a whopping 36 times, which topped any bench-press performance at this year's combine. He covered the 40-yard dash in 5.93 seconds and recorded 63.5cm in the vertical jump.

He looked winded during position drills, not all that surprising given Florida had just four defensive linemen in the rotation. But his size and strength — his weight, really — stood out during perhaps the most important day in his professional journey.

"Dez, obviously, he's a unicorn," Gators coach Billy Napier said.

"You'll go the rest of your career and you'll never be around a guy that's that stature. And then you get to know Dez. He's extremely intelligent. He's got a great sense of humor. He was a great teammate.

"He'll get his shot, and I'm hoping he'll make the most of it."

Watson stepping on the scale was as eye-popping as his bench press. He was listed at 203kg last season, up from 197kg as a junior and 188kg as a sophomore. He's had to manage his weight since he first stepped foot on campus in 2021, when then-Florida coach Dan Mullen called him "a 385-pound (174kg) athlete."

"He's had numerous nutritionists, numerous position coaches, numerous strength coaches, and I think this past year we probably executed the best we have," Napier said.

"And I thought he played his best football of his career. In general, I think he's learned a lot about habit-building, self-discipline.

"Ultimately, the guy's frame score would indicate that he's going to be a huge — that number's always going to be pretty big. He's (198cm) and just the density, the bone structure. (He's) just a big man."

Watson never missed a game in his four seasons in Gainesville. His highlights, though, are few and far between. He rag-dolled South Florida running back Brian Battie in 2022 and ripped the ball out of South Carolina running back Jaheim Bell's hands for a forced fumble and a fumble return later that year.

Watson probably would have scored had quarterback Spencer Rattler missed an open-field tackle.

Watson, the ultimate space-eater, finished his collegiate career with 63 tackles and 1 1/2 sacks. He also carried the ball for a 1-yard gain and lined up at fullback for a few more plays against Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl in December.