The Minnesota Vikings have selected former Arkansas defensive tackle Armon Watts with the 190th overall pick in the sixth round in the 2019 NFL Draft, the first of three scheduled picks in the round. "Ascending interior defender who committed himself to the work and took the coaching and went from a lightly-used backup to the center stage his senior season, NFL.com says, comparing him to Shamar Stephen. "He is an efficient, downhill rusher with the power and hand usage to pry open opportunities for pressures and sacks. His recognition and response in the run game is behind, but his ability to anchor against double teams and defeat single blocks is NFL-caliber. Watts's size, strength and play traits should allow him consideration in both odd and even fronts as a future starter." Here is a look at their entire haul of picks for the 2019 NFL Draft: Round 1, No. 18 overall: Garrett Bradbury, IOL, North Carolina State Round 2, No. 50 overall: Irv Smith Jr., TE, Alabama Round 3, No. 102 overall (from Baltimore Ravens): Alexander Mattison, RB, Boise State Round 4, No. 114 overall (from Seattle Seahawks): Dru Samia, IOL, Oklahoma Round 5, No. 162 overall (from New England Patriots): Cameron Smith, LB, USC Round 6, No. 190 overall: Armon Watts, DT, Arkansas Round 6, No. 191 overall (from Baltimore Ravens) Round 6, No. 193 overall (from Baltimore Ravens) Round 7, No. 217 overall (from New York Jets) Round 7, No. 239 overall (from New England Patriots) Round 7, No. 250 overall (compensatory pick) Team Needs Heading into the Draft Offensive Line: This is the Vikings' biggest need by far and it is not really all that debatable after the free agent moves they made. It was a unit that just got by with what they had in 2017, but 2018 saw no big steps forward and one of the most-pressured lines in all of football. Josh Kline and Dakota Dozier are not long-term fixes. Pass Catchers: Perhaps the second-biggest need to be filled is another weapon in the passing game, whether it comes in the form of a wide receiver or athletic tight end that can stretch the field. Defensive Line: Sheldon Richardson left for Cleveland via free agency and Everson Griffen is not getting any younger. They could use another solid body at both end and tackle. Safety: Andrew Sendejo is gone and they could use another piece on the back end of the defense for depth purposes. Linebacker: Even with Anthony Barr back in the fold, the Vikings aren't particularly deep at the linebacker position. Cornerback: Holton Hill's suspension, along with uncertainties about the future of Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes and Mike Hughes coming off a torn ACL means that corner is a sneaky need heading into the draft. (There are still Super Bowl aspirations in Minnesota despite missing the playoffs in 2018, leading to a key offseason of decisions and moves --Don't miss any of the action! Sign up for our FREE Minnesota Vikings newsletter here!) The 2019 NFL Draft kicked off from Nashville, Tennessee on Thursday night, and runs through Sunday. The first round was held on Thursday night, while the second and third rounds took place on Friday night and the event concludes with rounds four through seven on Saturday.<doc-sep>The Minnesota Vikings entered the sixth round of the 2019 draft with three picks over a four-pick stretch. The first of those went to Arkansas defensive tackle Armon Watts. With the free-agent defection of Sheldon Richardson, Watts could compete for playing time at the three-technique in a rotational role with Shamar Stephen and Jayln Holmes. Here is a look at the type of player Watts was in college: Armon Watts, Arkansas (6-4 5/8, 300; 5.23 40; 1.81 10; DNP shuttle; 20 bench; 33 3/8 arms) The resume: Watts redshirted in 2014, played 11 games as a backup in 2015, one game in 2016 and five games in 2017. In those four seasons, he made a total of seven tackles. That made his senior season a shocker: 49 tackles, including seven sacks and 8.5 for losses, plus three forced fumbles. “It’s crazy because it’s all coming at once with the success I’ve had this season,” Watts said of his NFL prospects. “The NFL was always a dream, but I guess now it’s reality and it’s starting to set in, so I have to take it up a notch.” How did he go from buried on the depth chart to top player? “No. 1, and this is the biggest key of all, he’s bought in,” defensive coordinator John Chavis said. “He’s all in and he wants to do it the way you teach it. ... He’s worked his rear end off to get where he is.” He finished among the national leaders in sacks by a defensive tackle. “Most D-tackles, they get (sacks), but they don’t get as many. When you get there, you have to make the most of it.” The good: With a good all-around physical skill-set, Watts won with length, athleticism and effort during his breakout final season. His pad level was generally excellent, which is somewhat surprising for a player who was stuck on the sideline for so long. Wherever he lined up, Watts made an impact. By ProFootballFocus.com’s metrics, he ranked No. 35 in the defensive line class in run-stop percentage (impact tackles) and No. 13 pass-rushing productivity (sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap). The arrow is pointing up. The concern: The one-year wonder tag is hard to shake, and he didn’t help himself by injuring a hamstring at the Scouting Combine, which curtailed his predraft preparation. The 10-yard time speaks to someone who is slow off the ball. With so little playing time early in his career, he’s more potential than polished at this point. The quote: “It’s like a dream,” Watts said at pro day. “I don’t even know if it has hit me yet. Just to see some of these guys out here and what they’re doing where I’m at is huge for me. I’m grateful for every day.”<doc-sep>With their first pick in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings added more depth to their defense with defensive tackle Armon Watts. Last offseason, the Minnesota Vikings took a chance and signed talented defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson to a one-year deal. There were some thoughts that he might re-sign with the Vikings this offseason, but Richardson decided to take his talents to the Cleveland Browns instead. With his departure, depth on the interior of their defensive line became an immediate need for Minnesota this year. On Saturday, the Vikings improved this depth with their first selection in the sixth round. At pick No. 190, Minnesota went ahead and added former Arkansas defensive tackle Armon Watts. It was the second-straight selection for the Vikings on the defensive side of the ball after using their first four picks on offensive prospects. Watts didn’t get a ton of time on the field for Arkansas until his senior season in 2018. The 6-foot-5, 300-pound defensive tackle took advantage of his increase in opportunities last year and finished with 49 total tackles (8.5 for a loss), seven sacks, and three forced fumbles. Watts will be a good addition to a Minnesota defensive line that will be searching all summer to figure out who will replace Richardson in the starting lineup as the team’s three-technique for 2019. Free-agent signing Shamar Stephen seems like the front-runner, but he should see some intense competition from Jaleel Johnson, Jalyn Holmes, and now Watts. The Vikings should at least feel a little bit more comfortable about their depth at the defensive tackle spot for next season.<doc-sep>With the first of their three sixth-round picks in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings have added a piece to the defensive line. Armon Watts Date of Birth: 22 July 1996 (22 years old) College: University of Arkansas Drafted: Sixth round, #190 overall Height: 6’5” Weight: 300 pounds Career accomplishments: Twitter handle: @armonwatts With the 190th overall pick, the Minnesota Vikings have selected Armon Watts, a defensive tackle from the University of Arkansas. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com had a Round 5-6 grade on Watts, and actually compares him to a current Viking, defensive tackle Shamar Stephen. Here’s what he has to say about him. Ascending interior defender who committed himself to the work and took the coaching and went from a lightly-used backup to the center stage his senior season. He is an efficient, downhill rusher with the power and hand usage to pry open opportunities for pressures and sacks. His recognition and response in the run game is behind, but his ability to anchor against double teams and defeat single blocks is NFL-caliber. Watts’s size, strength and play traits should allow him consideration in both odd and even fronts as a future starter. The Vikings needed some help at defensive tackle, and they may have gotten some with Watts if Andre Patterson can work some of his magic. Welcome to Minnesota, Armon!<doc-sep>
With the first of their three sixth-round selections in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings added another piece to an already loaded defensive line. The Vikings used the selection on Armon Watts, a defensive tackle from the University of Arkansas. Jon Ledyard of The Draft Network actually had a third-round grade on Watts, which means he’d be pretty decent value at the end of the sixth. Here’s what he had to say about Watts. It took four years to see the field at Arkansas, but when Armon Watts finally did, he went from complete unknown to a legitimate draftable prospect. His seven sacks as a senior wasn’t just an impressive number on paper, as Watts was an absolute force as a pass rusher, using a deep arsenal of moves and eye-popping power to bully his way into 1v1 wins. He’s not an elite athlete and he won’t be explosive enough to be a gap-shooter in the NFL, but Watts can play any inside technique, has the length and technique to eat up blocks at the point of attack and is a legit pass rush threat on long/late downs. He will never be a dominant player in the NFL, but his skill set suggests a top-tier depth player or solid starter/rotational piece who might even get better with more playing time. I’d target Watts in the mid-rounds for teams looking for interior defensive line help. Well, the Vikings were, in fact, looking for interior defensive line help, and they may have gotten themselves a steal with Watts. What do you think of the pick, folks? Sound off here!