Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt has been a special talent in the NFL, even before his pro football career properly began.
According to Pro Football Focus, which created their all-combine team for the 2010s, Watt and Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald were named as the two best interior defensive linemen.
The two most dominant interior defenders of the past decade just so happen to be the most freakish. Watt’s 6.88 3-cone at 290 pounds is an all-time figure, while Donald’s 4.68 40-yard dash qualifies similarly.
Honorable mentions included Memphis’ Dontari Poe, who was taken by the Kansas City Chiefs in Round 1 of the 2012 NFL Draft, and Margus Hunt from SMU, who the Cincinnati Bengals selected in the second round of the 2013 draft.
Watt stood 6-5 and weighed 290 pounds, according to NFL Scouting Combine statistics. The former Wisconsin Badger ran a 4.81 40-yard dash, benched 34 reps, had a 120-inch broad jump, ran a 4.21 in the shuttle, a 6.88 in the cone, and leaped 37 inches for his vertical.
