While the 2017 NFL draft season was progressing, Deshaun Watson was being regarded as a highly promising prospect. Some Football pundits even compared him to Michael Jordan, before he had even stepped into the NFL arena. In fact, Skip Bayless had placed Watson above Patrick Mahomes, calling the Kansas City QB a “spoiled rich kid who was getting everything he wished for.” However, six years down the line, it would be fair to say that the comparisons turned out to be a bit far-fetched.
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“Do you remember what Dabo said before Deshaun was drafted? He said: ‘If they pass on Deshaun Watson, they’re passing on Michael Jordan.’ I’m talking about game-saving, game-winning plays you make athletically or with your will. Deshaun is ‘Jordan-esque.'” — @RealSkipBayless pic.twitter.com/kmCff5Ktos
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) January 10, 2020
Being a top prospect in the quarterback class of 2017, Watson was expected to go off the board as a first-overall pick. However, he was roped in as the 12th overall which didn’t please a lot of people, including Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney who had claimed that passing on Watson in round one would be like passing on Michael Jordan.
Dabo Swinney and Skip Bayless’ Deshaun Watson praise hasn’t aged well
To be fair, Deshaun showcased splendid form during his college days and impressed the scouts in his Combine Day drills. His best-ever performance came against Alabama while his team matched up for the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Watson threw for 420 yards and three touchdowns, leading his team to a heroic win in the final seconds.
This performance ingrained a new sense of confidence regarding Watson among the NFL coaches, and Swinney boosted their morale with a groundbreaking statement.“If Browns’ Hue Jackson passes on Deshaun Watson at 1 he’s passing on Michael Jordan,” Dabo had stated as per Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot.
#Clemson‘s Dabo Sweeney says If #Browns Hue Jackson passes on Deshaun Watson at 1 he’s “passing on Michael Jordan” pic.twitter.com/OLxZGwrliD
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) January 24, 2017
As expected, Dabo’s statement quickly went viral. Sharing his opinion on Swinney’s statement, NFL analyst Skip Bayless had said a lot of things during the October, 2020 episode of the UNDISPUTED. Skip had mentioned that Swinney was indeed right and that Watson had better skillsets than Patrick Mahomes.
“Patrick Mahomes has the strongest arm in football. He’s a globetrotter playing quarterback. But if Deshaun Watson can stay healthy… and the Houston Texans protect him a little better, I believe that long-term he’ll turn out to be the better quarterback,” Bayless had said, adding that Watson was indeed “Michael Jordan-esque”.
Deshaun Watson vs Patrick Mahomes: The story so far
Six years have passed since both the quarterbacks entered the arena, and a lot of stuff has happened since then in their respective personal and professional lives. Patrick Mahomes is already a two-time Super Bowl champion, while the Browns’ signal-caller is still trying to find his way to freedom. Almost 23 women filed s*xual misconduct lawsuits against Watson that wrecked his NFL career.
As a result, the signal-caller is struggling to find a grip on his football skills after staying away from the gridiron for a long-time. On the other hand, Mahomes is thriving to contend for more titles and is now being expected to rise in the league as the next Tom Brady. It will be interesting to see how their careers pan out in the years to come.
