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First, John Hightower proposed an organized race to see which Eagles rookie receiver was the fastest. Now Quez Watkins has offered an opinion on which player would win it, himself.
Watkins, a sixth-round pick (200th overall), spoke to reporters on Sunday and candidly revealed that if that race ever comes to fruition — the one pitting himself against rookie speedsters Jalen Reagor and John Hightower — he’d be the one walking away with the title. Watkins and his 4.36-second 40 time believe they have claims on being the fastest guy on the roster.
“Most likely me,” Watkins said when asked who would win that race.
He didn’t flinch after unleashing the heavy boast, either, and later explained how the three rookies have bonded over the high expectations placed on them. The Eagles need to hit on these draft picks to ensure Carson Wentz has a whole speedy arsenal of weapons at his disposal. This offense needs to be explosive, no more plodding 15-play drives.
“We’re alike but we’re slightly different,” Watkins said. “I feel like our bond is becoming closer and closer by the day. It’s just steady building and a lot of people expect a lot out of us and it’s really helping us become together as one group.”
The other thing Watkins wanted to clear up was that he’s no one-trick pony. He’s been working hard on his technique, specifically getting in and out of breaks quicker, and putting in time learning the whole route tree. He’s not just a speed guy.
“Other than my speed, I just want to show coaches that I can get in and out of my breaks and run a full route tree,” Watkins said. “Honestly, we really got to know the whole playbook because we could move around a lot.”
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Watkins Talks Relationship with Wentz
Watkins spent a long weekend down in Houston in early June getting to know Carson Wentz. His new quarterback invited selected rookies and veterans to his Texas home to bond and run routes in the humidity.
“He’s a really good guy,” Watkins said. “I kind of trained with him when I was in Houston so we’ve been talking for a while, and now he’s just picking my brain a little bit and seeing where I’m at and really we’re just trying to grow a connection as we go.”
He also has been talking to veteran speedster DeSean Jackson and trying to pick his brain about adjusting to becoming a professional football player.
“I had a conversation with him [Jackson] and really I’m just learning how to be a pro, honestly,” Watkins said. “Teaching me how — what, it’s year 13 for him? — I can just learn from him and really just grasp everything that he has to offer.”
Can’t Stop the Glass Route
There was one certain route in college that unleashed Watkins: the glass route. The rookie said no one could defend him on the play, a five-step deeper slant that allowed him to turn on the afterburners.
“If you watch the tape there’s really only one main route that I ran a lot, it was a glass route,” Watkins said. “And it’s one that I had a lot of yards on.”
The main thing Watkins has been working on and trying to get better at his getting in and out of his breaks. He mentioned it several times on Sunday in a 10-minute call with the media. That, and improving his “football IQ.”
“In the offseason when I was away [in quarantine], I really took a lot of time breaking down my techniques, in and out of my breaks,” Watkins said. “I could have definitely have used my speed and still been able to get in and out of my breaks, just really getting a better IQ level of the game.”
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