There haven’t been many positives this season for the 3-5 Minnesota Vikings, but Armon Watts is quietly having a good season.

In a season in which they’ve lost Danielle Hunter for the year, Dalvin Cook has an ongoing lawsuit, and the offense has been damning, it’s hard to see any glimmers of hope. However, Watts, a former sixth-round pick out of Arkansas, has been a quality player on defense.

There’s a lot to like about him, but there’s still a long way to go in his development. Watts played all four seasons at Arkansas but only play in a combined seven games in three years. He finally earned playing time during his senior year and delivered 25 tackles and seven sacks.

This is a guy who’s had limited playing time in college and the NFL. If Minnesota continues to give him reps, the reward might be worth it in a few years.

Since getting drafted in 2019, Watts has played in 31 games.

The Vikings lost Michael Pierce in Week 4, and Minnesota has been asking more from their defensive tackles. Dalvin Tomlinson has looked good, and Sheldon Richardson has stepped up in big moments, but there was always something intriguing about Watts.

Watts’ best week according to Pro Football Focus came against the Carolina Panthers, where he posted a grade of 91.8. It wasn’t because of his rush defense or good tackling, but the pressure he put on the quarterback. In that game, he recorded a sack for a forced fumble.

Watts is really good at creating pressure on the quarterback.

This season he’s recorded three sacks – two of which came against the Baltimore Ravens. If he wants to have a prolonged career and earn more playing time, he will need to improve his rush defense.

This season he has a rush-defensive grade of 55.4 – his lowest grade by 15 points.

Best case scenario, Watts develops into a long-term starter for the Vikings, and that’s a big pickup for a guy selected in the sixth round. Minnesota might be entering some sort of rebuild in the near future, and it’s looking more evident that he has a path to sticking around in the Twins Cities.