Getty Kansas City Chiefs new cornerback Jaylen Watson at the 2022 NFL combine.
It’s not every day you get drafted into the NFL and when the team you want chooses you, well that’s just the icing on the cake.
For Kansas City Chiefs seventh-round cornerback Jaylen Watson, the call on draft weekend was a dream come true in more ways than one. During a press conference after rookie minicamp, the rookie revealed the hilarious story of what he did after receiving word of his selection.
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‘It’s the Chiefs!’
As the rounds went by, the Washington State cornerback admitted to reporters that he began to feel discouraged.
“Everyone just kept aggravating me and they were irritating,” Watson explained. “They didn’t understand what was going through my head so I separated myself from the family. Me and one of my close friends, we went out to my car and was just listening to music and [I had] already seen Kansas City got two corners — and I really wanted to go to Kansas City — [so] I was like, man.”
Then came the moment of elation for the rookie. He relayed the story:
Then they called. I seen a Kansas City area code, me and my friend looked at each other and our eyes got super big, and they said this is the Chiefs. I got so excited I started running full speed down the street. Everyone in the house [saw] me, they were like: ‘What’s wrong? Who is it? Who is it?’ I was like: ‘It’s the Chiefs!’
Chiefs seventh-round pick Jaylen Watson says he was down not hearing name called earlier in draft, said he and one of his best friends went outside and sat in car. Then, phone ring with KC area code. He was so excited and ran full speed down street. “It’s the Chiefs!” he yelled.
Watson’s hometown is Augusta, Georgia, not Kansas City, so why all the Chiefs love?
“I feel like this is a great position for me, a lot of press [coverage], which is usually for longer corners,” he told the media. The 6-foot-3 defensive back also added: “I love winning, and what better place than Kansas City? In the past five years, there’s no one [better], so perfect situation.”
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Getting to Know Watson
In the spirit of Mother’s Day, Watson shared a story about his mom, who he referred to as his “superwoman.”
He continued: “I took a year off because of school — I end up going back home for a year — and I just couldn’t sit in the house [and] watch my mom work so I tried to look for a job. Ended up, I couldn’t find one. She’s the manager at a Wendy’s so I end up working with her, and I love her to death but it was terrible.”
Watson had the room full of media members laughing at this point. “You get no breaks away from your mom. You go to work, you’re with your mom. You go home, you’re with your mom… It was just bad, but I still love her.”
The Georgia native has a charismatic personality and seems like a great person, but what should fans expect from him as a football player?
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Round 7 (Pick 243 from Raiders via Patriots)
Jaylen Watson, CB, Washington State
NFL draft expert Lance Zierlein scouted Watson before he landed in KC: “Watson is big and strong. He can be a physical presence when he’s playing with patience from press coverage. With just two years of experience at the FBS level, he’s predictably raw with his fundamentals, but the lack of agility and short-area quickness should be more than just short-term concerns. Currently, he’s unable to stay in phase with quality route runners but does have physical traits that might warrant a practice squad stint for defenses reliant upon Cover 2 and/or Cover 3 schemes.”
As this talented depth chart fills out, it could be an uphill battle for Watson to make the Week 1 roster. That won’t discourage him though, the CB voiced that he’s been “waiting a long time” for an opportunity like this.
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Chiefs Rookie Ran ‘Full Speed Down the Street’ Yelling After Being Drafted