464-pound NFL draft prospect Desmond Watson knows he must ‘change my life’ to have chance at football future

At 6-foot-6 and 464 pounds, there’s only one thing standing in the way of Desmond Watson’s NFL dreams.

His weight.

The Florida defensive tackle might become the heaviest player ever selected in next week’s draft, but he’s doing everything in his power to make sure that’s not the case. 

“Stopping while driving,” Watson said when asked by Fox Sports about what he’s doing to lose weight. “My biggest thing is keep going, get to where I need to get. There are stores and a lot of temptations. That’s helped me immensely: Don’t go inside the gas station. Pay at the pump. Because inside, it’s snacks and all types of things like that. Don’t pull over. If you’re on the highway, stay on the highway until you get where you’ve got to go.”

Watson, who is hopeful to be picked on Day 3 of the draft, dealt with weight issues throughout his days in Gainesville, where he showed up at 385 pounds in 2021. 

“It’s been like my same problem — not problem, but my same concern throughout college,” Watson told the outlet. “I’m getting more in-depth, getting a better grasp of the things I need to do to be successful at the next level. It’s been interesting. I’ve learned a lot about myself in this process.”

At that number, Watson would have been more than 80 pounds heavier than the next-heaviest player in the NFL last season — Ravens offensive lineman Daniel Faalele was listed at 380 pounds.

“It’s definitely hard,” Watson said. “People have taught me to look at it like another addiction. It’s not drugs, but it’s addicting, whether that’s gaming, drugs, alcohol. I think this is my vice. I’m just trying to get a hold of it. Just like drugs can kill you, this can do the same thing. I’m trying to change my life.”

During Florida’s pro day in March, Watson benched 225 pounds for an impressive 36 times, which would’ve been the highest of any player at this year’s NFL combine.

He also completed the 40-yard dash in 5.93 seconds and recorded 25 inches on his vertical jump.