Quez Watkins played sparingly as a rookie, accruing just seven catches for 106 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets in his debut 2020. But the former sixth-round pick out of Southern Mississippi (alma mater of Packers legend Brett Favre) appears headed for a sophomore breakout after an eye-opening performance in the Eagles’ preseason opener Thursday against in-state rival Pittsburgh.
Watkins, who blazed a head-turning 4.35 forty at last year’s NFL Combine, was responsible for Philadelphia’s only touchdown Thursday night, taking Joe Flacco’s first-quarter screen pass to the house for a 79-yard score.
The second-year receiver was targeted deep on the previous drive and if Jalen Hurts had put just a little more mustard on it, Watkins, who had several steps on Steelers cornerback Cameron Sutton, may very well have gone the distance.
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Despite being listed behind the starting trio of Jalen Reagor, slot receiver Greg Ward and reigning Heisman winner DeVonta Smith (still nursing a knee injury) on the Eagles’ depth chart released earlier this week, Watkins has arguably been the star of training camp, wowing with his elite athleticism and ability to separate downfield. In a crowded Philadelphia receiving corps, Watkins has stood out this summer, impressing at last weekend’s open practice at the Link when the 23-year-old skied over Eagles newcomer Anthony Harris (who logged an NFL-high six interceptions as a Viking in 2019) for a 55-yard touchdown.
Behind the scenes, the Eagles have long viewed Watkins as an ascendant talent embodying all the familiar traits of a breakout star, but Thursday’s televised heroics exposed him to a much wider audience. “He’s not a secret anymore,” lamented Hurts, who completed 3-of-7 passes for 54 yards while tallying four yards on his lone rushing attempt in the loss to Pittsburgh. “It’s unfortunate.”
Watkins’ emergence could be bad news for underachieving JJ Arcega-Whiteside (inexplicably taken six picks before D.K. Metcalf in the 2019 Draft), who finds himself squarely on the Eagles’ roster bubble after sharing the field with Nick Mullens and other fringe types Thursday night in South Philly.
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