South Carolina Gamecocks in the NFL Draft: Rokevious Watkins

This post continues our series on USC's draft prospects. We've previously discussed Stephon Gilmore, Alshon Jeffery, Melvin Ingram, Antonio Allen, and Travian Robertson. Now, we're looking at Rokevious Watkins. Watkins was a jack-of-all-trades on the South Carolina offensive line, excelling in a variety of positions for us. Let's take a look at what his NFL prospects look like.

Pros

Watkins has great size at 6'4 / 340 with long arms. This translates to good power, and he has been particularly good at guard, where he has helped pave the way for the Gamecocks' revitalized rushing game. He also has the versatility to play tackle at times. Smart player who uses good arm / hand technique and is able to pick up the blitz. Generally good in pass protection when not forced to rely on speed.

Cons

Although known for his versatility, Watkins is likely not fast enough to play tackle well at the next level, certainly not left tackle. In the run game, is good at opening holes at the line of scrimmage, but lacks the athletic ability and speed to make big plays down field. Due to lack of athletic ability, generally over-relies on upper-body strength.

My Take

I could Watkins developing into a starter at guard. However, he projects as a role player who will be able to help teams in some facets of their running game.