Sammy Watkins draft stock is skyrocketing with just over a month before the NFL Draft. The former Clemson wide receiver blew scouts away at the scouting combine, causing him to jump into the top five on draft boards and being named the first receiver taken off the board. With plenty of teams in need of offensive upgrades, there is a fight to grab him as early as possible.
With No. 4 pick in the NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns are targeting Watkins, hoping they go early enough to get the wide receiver. Most assume two quarterbacks and Jadeveon Clowney will be gone in the first three picks, leaving the Browns primed to grab Watkins at No. 4. ESPN's Tony Grossi reports the Browns like the idea of grabbing Watkins over a quarterback like Johnny Manziel or Blake Bortles despite the fact that they desperately need a quarterback as well.
The Browns draft twice in the first round, which means they can afford to grab a wide receiver first. The team went after almost every free agent, including Julian Edelman, Eric Decker and Golden Tate and missed out on everyone. Now the draft is their best shot at getting a premier wide receiver. The Browns can then grab a quarterback later in the first round if they so choose.
The Browns are not the only team interested in Watkins. With the St. Louis Rams shopping the No. 2 pick, plenty of teams are looking to move up to the spot in order to grab the wide receiver. Getting that No. 2 pick will not come cheap, but teams like the Detroit Lions or the San Francisco 49ers could be willing to make the leap in order to get the best playmaker available.
The Lions trading up for Watkins does not make that much sense. The team has Calvin Johnson as their No. 1 guy. They went out and signed Golden Tate in free agency to be a solid No. 2. They also have Brandon Pettigraw and Ryan Broyles catching passes, along with Reggie Bush. Adding Watkins would certainly make their offense deadly, but Detroit would have to give up a lot in order to get him.
The 49ers have been searching for another top wide receiver after Jim Harbaugh complained about not having enough playmakers for Colin Kaepernick to throw to last season. The team has Anquan Boldin and Michael Crabtree and Watkins would certainly help round out the rotation. Again, he would be an expensive pick for a team in need of other upgrades.
Watkins is certainly an enticing option in the draft and could be a game-changer for any NFL offense. The Rams could certainly opt to hold on to the No. 2 pick and draft Watkins for themselves, but expect plenty of teams to inquire about the pick in order to get the wide receiver.