05-27-2019, 08:50 PM
- The Minnesota Vikings don't have many holes on the defensive side of the ball. However, after Sheldon Richardson left in free agency, the 3-technique tackle spot opposite Linval Joseph is unsettled.
Enter Armon Watts of Arkansas, Minnesota's sixth-round pick at No. 190.
Watts was mostly invisible over his first three collegiate seasons. But he exploded a year ago, starting 11 games, racking up 49 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks and three forced fumbles.
Watts still has a lot to learn on the interior, but he has the strength, length and disruptive ability and has already shown the ability to improve drastically from one season to the next.
This isn't to say that Watts will be the Vikings' Week 1 starter at defensive tackle next to Joseph. But he's a talented enough youngster to both push Shamar Stephen and earn some rotational or sub-package snaps early on.