5 Worst Philadelphia Eagles rookie seasons from 2010-2019

The Eagles’ 2011 draft class featured a lot of disappointments, and Danny Watkins had to be the worst of them all.

The disappointment began here before Danny Watkins ever took a snap. When the former Baylor University star was taken 23rd overall during the 2011 Draft, many were confused by the pick. Andy Reid loved Danny because Danny “loved football”. He thought he had found a gem.

Physically, Watkins looked the part of an NFL guard. He stood at six-foot-three. He tipped the scales at 305 pounds. He had agile feet and the toughness needed for the position. There were, however, a couple of red flags Philadelphia ignored when selecting the former first-rounder.

Watkins was already 26 years old on the day he was drafted. He had only played two years of football. He also seemed to be more interested in being a firefighter than being a good football player.

During training camp, there were signs that he didn’t exactly understand how to play the position. There wasn’t much that then-offensive line coach Howard Mudd could do to help. Watkins was also disinterested in putting in the work by doing things like watching film to get better at his craft.

His play during the regular season demonstrated his lack of dedication as he was often taken advantage of. Opposing defenders simply blasted through him and did whatever they wanted. Watkins was also guilty of four false starts.

Watching the first 12 games of his rookie year was a brutal exercise, and things only got worse from there. Philly gave up on him after two seasons. He appeared in 23 games as an Eagle with 18 starts and played one game in Miami before they gave up on him too.