Former Omaha Burke Star Xavier Watts was selected in the third round of the NFL Draft Friday, 96th overall by the Atlanta Falcons.
Formerly a four-star, top-100 prospect coming out of high school as a wide receiver, who played at Notre Dame, Watts benefited from defensive-minded head coach Marcus Freeman’s vision for him.
After switching to safety in 2022, he became one of the most decorated players in Notre Dame’s storied history, becoming just one of 17 Irish players to ever be a two-time consensus All-American.
His breakout, seven-interception year came in 2023, when he earned unanimous All-America honors and the Nagurski Award as the best defensive player in college football.
That set the table for 2024 when the team captain, consensus First-Team All-American and program defensive player of the year ranked second in the nation with six interceptions. Over that two-year period, his 13 interceptions were the most in the FBS. The next-closest player had nine.
Watts is the 15th player from Omaha to be selected in the NFL Draft and the first since Millard West’s Harrison Phillips was taken by the Bills – with the 96th overall pick – in 2018.
