Xavier Watts
Xavier Watts  S  Notre Dame | NFL Draft 2025 Souting Report - Portrait Image
Xavier Watts
Height
6-0
Weight
204
College
Notre Dame
Position
S
Class
Senior
Home town
Omaha, NE
86.3/100
Player Rating
8
PositionRank (DB)
4.49
FortyYD Time
Interceptions
6
Interception YDS
136
Passes Defensed
9
Tackles
83
Sol tackles
53

Xavier Watts S Notre Dame | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

Xavier Watts S Notre Dame
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

ROLE: Man-Zone Slot/Nickel Safety
Last Updated: 02/19/2025
Draft Year: 2025
40 time: 4.49 seconds (76%*)
Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl
Measurables:
Height: 6-0 (40%*) Weight: 204 (42%*)
Hands: 8 5/8 (18%*) Arm: 31 1/4 (41%*)
Forty: 4.49 (O) (76%*)
0% 100%
(C) - NFL Combine (P) - Pro Day (O) - Other (HS) -Estimated from High School Combine
For an explanation of how the (HS) data is calculated see this article
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ROLE: Man-Zone Slot/Nickel Safety
Last Updated: 02/19/2025
Draft Year: 2025
40 time: 4.49 seconds (76%*)
Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl
Measurables:
0% 100%
Height: 6-0 (40%*) Weight: 204 (42%*)
Hands: 8 5/8 (18%*) Arm: 31 1/4 (41%*)
Forty: 4.49 (O) (76%*)
(C) - NFL Combine (P) - Pro Day (O) - Other
(HS) -Estimated from High School Combine
For an explanation of how the (HS) data is calculated see this article
SHARE THIS PROFILE:
Overall Rating: 86.3 / 100
Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced
Offense Rating:
77%
Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects.
QB Rating When targeted: 35.0
Tackling:
79%
Run Defense:
80%
Coverage:
93%
Zone:
92%
Man/Press:
85%
DRAFT PROJECTION: 2nd - Mid
Overall Rank: #45 Position rank: #8
College Games: 45 College Snaps: 2006
Grade: 4 ESPN  Stars 4 ESPN  Stars ESPN RATING: 80/100
College Combine Results
Grade: 247 Sports 4  Stars 247 Sports 90 Stars 247 RATING: 90/100
Grade: 3 Stars 3 Stars RIVALS RATING: 5.7 (93%)
Player Comparison* (Similarity level)
Ronnie Hickman - Ohio State
95%
Kyler Gordon - Washington
93%
Renardo Green - Florida State
93%
Draft Profile: Bio
Every so often, a prospect's journey makes you sit up and take notice. Xavier Watts' transformation from wide receiver to the nation's most feared defensive back is exactly that kind of story. The Omaha native arrived in South Bend as an offensive weapon, but it's his defensive prowess that has NFL scouts burning the midnight oil. In 2023, Watts exploded onto the national scene, snagging seven interceptions en route to unanimous All-American honors and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. His meteoric rise continued into 2024, where he racked up six more picks and established himself as one of college football's elite defensive playmakers.

What makes Watts' ascension even more remarkable is the efficiency with which he terrorized opposing offenses. His film shows a defender who diagnoses plays with the insight of a former offensive player, yet attacks with the ferocity of a lifelong defensive stalwart. The defining moment of his career came against USC in the 2024 regular season finale, where he not only matched his career-high with nine tackles but also housed a 100-yard pick-six that showcased every weapon in his arsenal - instincts, athleticism, and pure playmaking ability.
Scouting Report: Strengths
  • Exceptional play recognition born from offensive background - routinely jumps routes before quarterbacks can process their reads
  • Nasty closing burst to the football, especially when playing downhill - arrives at the mesh point like he was shot out of a cannon
  • Shows serious dog in coverage situations, refusing to concede position and battling through contact at the catch point
  • Advanced mental processing allows him to bait quarterbacks into mistakes - plays chess while others play checkers
  • Violent hands at the point of attack in run support - consistently stacks and sheds bigger blockers to make plays
  • Elite ball skills translate directly from receiver background - high-points passes like he's still running routes
  • Versatile defensive weapon who can rotate from single-high to box safety seamlessly within the same series
  • Special teams ace potential with his combination of speed and physicality - brings the thunder on coverage units
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
  • Can get overaggressive pursuing plays, occasionally taking angles that leave too much space for cutback opportunities
  • Still developing consistency in man coverage technique - will open his hips early against savvy route runners
  • Shows some tightness when forced to flip and run vertically - better playing forward than backward
  • Tackle technique needs refinement - relies too heavily on momentum rather than proper form when bringing down ballcarriers
  • Zone awareness remains a work in progress - can lose track of crossing routes while eyeing the quarterback
Scouting Report: Summary
Looking ahead to the NFL, Watts profiles as an immediate impact player whose versatility will have defensive coordinators salivating. His combination of instincts and athleticism screams day-one starter, particularly in systems that emphasize split-safety looks and pattern-matching concepts. Smart defensive play-callers will leverage his background as a receiver, using him to disguise coverages and bait quarterbacks into mistakes.

The team that drafts Watts isn't just getting a safety - they're getting a defensive weapon who can be deployed at multiple levels of the defense. His skill set particularly fits with teams running quarters-based coverage schemes that allow him to read and react while keeping everything in front of him. Don't be surprised to see him make an immediate impact similar to how Antoine Winfield Jr. burst onto the scene.

This is a player whose film gets better with every viewing. While some may point to his relative inexperience at the position, his rapid development curve suggests he's only scratching the surface of his potential. In a league where creating turnovers is increasingly difficult, Watts' ball-hawking ability and chess-match mentality make him a potential game-changer at the next level.
Written By:
K.C. Martinez (IND-FBS)

Xavier Watts percentiles vs other Safetys (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)

How other scouting services rate Xavier Watts (Overall Rank)

All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
47.7
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
11.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance. For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.

*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.