When the Pittsburgh Steelers initially decided to bring in Watt midfielder Derek Watt, I thought it was a smart way to add a special teams ace, start the full back and appease the All-Pro linebacker TJ Watt in just one move. But when Derek’s cap hit just over $ 2 million, the league’s third-highest-paid fullback, my expectations changed.
When football analyst Warren Sharp broke down the hidden value of the modern full-back, I combined my lofty goals for Derek with the success of teams that used full-backs at the highest rate, and I makes some interesting predictions.
Still skeptical?
Let’s take a look at the teams that used the highest rate of FB snaps in 2019.
I wonder how it went?
1.49ers: Super Bowl
2. Vikings: Playoffs
3. Ravens: Playoffs *
4. Broncos
5. Patriots: playoffs
6. Saints: Playoffs* best regular season record in the NFL
– Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) July 23, 2020
First of all, I want to distinguish each of the three most used full-backs in the league last year and what kind of production they brought to their respected clubs.
Without question, Juszczyk is the best fullback in football today and Kyle Shanahan is the absolute best coach for him. “ Juice ” is used as a very tight end, running back, and traditional rear end, which creates a ton of steering errors and mismatches. That’s the plan on how the Steelers should use Watt.
Juszczyk statistics:
12 sets
20 receptions
239 yards receiving
3 door
7 rushing yards
1 hit
49ers in total: 2,305
A converted running back, Ham signed the second richest full-back contract this summer. He has proven to be a weapon for catching football and a solid lead blocker for Dalvin Cook.
16 matches
17 Receptions
149 receiving yards
7 door
17 yarsds rushed
1 hit
Vikings Rushing total: 2133
Ricard is the murderous full-back on the list; a return type player who mutilates the opposition. He’s not comparable to Derek and the more modern style he plays, but he’s one of the best in the NFL.
16 matches
8 receptions
47 receiving yards
1 hit
Ravens Rushing total: 3296
The Chargers have never gotten the most out of Watt as he has averaged less than one touch per game throughout his career as a Charger. He was primarily relied on as a special teammate which is great, but he needs to be used more in Pittsburgh to really get the player’s value.
16 matches
3 receptions
32 receiving yards
7 door
10 rushing yards
1 hit
Total Rushing Magazines: 1453
So what does all of this mean for the Steelers’ use of Derek Watt? Well, I’ll tell you how I would use it. Firstly, he needs to get a ton of reps and should beat the least in the top ten for shots played by a fullback. Second, he needs to average at least one touch per game and at least try to give him the ball twice per game. Finally, let him lead block the way they let Rosie Nix block, but with more frequency. In my perfect world, a Derek Watt 2020 stat line would look like this:
16 matches
24 receptions
265 yards receiving
8 door
18 rushing yards
1-2 touchdowns
I would use Watt on some rear wheel routes, much like how the 49ers use Juszczyk. Watt would also see targets in the screen game. Overall, the back position needs more targets and Derek Watt can lead that move here in Pittsburgh.
What do you think? Should the Steelers get Derek Watt more involved in the passing game? Does the full-back see a revival in the NFL? Let us know in the comments below.
