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Dabo Swinney: Thoughts that Deshaun Watson isn't a first-rounder 'the craziest thing'

Deshaun Watson is going to be a first-round pick. Right? (Getty)
Deshaun Watson is going to be a first-round pick. Right? (Getty)

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney thinks anyone who grades Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson as a second-round pick needs to find a new line of work outside of scouting.

Swinney was asked about draft grades for his former quarterback on Tuesday’s Rich Eisen Show. Eisen mentioned discussion of Watson not being considered a first-round pick by some and here’s how Swinney responded.

“They should lose their jobs,” Swinney said. “That is absolutely the craziest thing. They don’t know Deshaun. This guy is going to —I can’t even tell you how brilliant he is as a football player, as a person. How impactful of a man and human being he is. He’s going to change a locker room the day he gets there. He’s just so driven, so humble. Unbelievable understanding of his platform. And his skillset is off the charts. He can do anything and everything.”

Watson officially said he was heading to the NFL after Clemson’s national title win over Alabama, but his departure to the NFL was widely expected. The quarterback graduated from Clemson in three years and there’s no better way to leave college football than as a national champion.

As draft season is now four months long — remember, it was moved back to May in 2014 — Watson will likely be the most dissected quarterback. While he showed why he was one of the best quarterbacks in the country in his performances vs. Alabama the last two years, expect a lot of discussion about his interception total in 2016. Fair or not.

Yes, Watson was surrounded by a lot of talent and wide receiver Mike Williams is a likely first rounder himself. But we’ll be stunned if Watson has a draft fall similar to Aaron Rodgers did in 2004. Add if he does? Well, that worked out pretty well for the Green Bay Packers.

For more Clemson news, visit TigerIllustrated.com.

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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!