Chiefs safety Armani Watts is the backup defense’s standout in preseason finale

Armani Watts was sitting in his locker late Thursday, staring down at his equipment bag, with a hoodie covering his face. Over the previous three hours, Watts had made a couple of standout plays in the Chiefs’ 33-21 preseason victory against the Packers.

So when he finally looked up, he noticed it: a throng of media members were walking his way, eager to talk.

“Oh, crap,” he said.

In his introduction to the NFL, Watts, a rookie safety, said the game has finally begun to slow down. The level of attention, however, is still relatively new.

Yet well-earned. Watts had two interceptions Thursday, the second a diving catch that could make any rookie’s highlight reel.

The Chiefs rested their starters in the preseason finale, offering Watts a chance to start and see a heavy workload. A fourth-round pick out of Texas A&M, he had two tackles in addition to the two interceptions.

“Big confidence knowing it’s the last preseason game,” Watts said, adding, “Pretty good day. Made a couple plays.”

That was the draft profile on Watts. He wasn’t the biggest or strongest kid on the field, but as Chiefs scout Willie Davis described him, “You really notice his instincts. He knows where to be.” The 5-foot-11, 204-pound Watts was a four-year starter in college. He had four interceptions in his senior season.

The picks Thursday were a product of reading a quarterback and quickly moving to the right spot. In both cases, he sensed an overthrow and made a break on the football. Watts said Chiefs coaches in practice have been harping on reading overthrows and reacting appropriately.

The second interception required an early read and a late dive. He made a sprawling catch and managed to secure the ball despite hitting the grass. Asked if it would have ranked as one of his best interceptions in college at Texas A&M, Watts responded with a smile.

“I made a couple freakish interceptions in college,” he said. “I haven’t seen (this one) yet, so I still don’t know what it looks like.”

But he plans to watch it soon.

“Most definitely,” he said. “I gotta see what it looks like.”

This story was originally published August 30, 2018 at 11:55 PM.