Clemson's Carlos Watkins has something to prove at Senior Bowl

Just two weeks removed from winning the national championship in his final game as a Tiger, Clemson defensive tackle Carlos Watkins hasn’t had much time to rest before this week’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.

Even though he and the Tigers played 15 games this year – more than every other college football except Alabama – Watkins believes that is an advantage.

"Once you’re out of the pads for so long, your body has to get acclimated back to that again," Watkins said. "We was the last team to play this season, so we will be the guys who are still in football shape."

Watkins is one of three NFL draft hopefuls from Clemson participating in this week’s Senior Bowl, the premier all-star game for draft prospects, along with wide receiver Artavis Scott and linebacker Ben Boulware.

Projected as a second-round draft pick by CBSSports.com, Watkins considered declining his Senior Bowl invite. His teammates Deshaun Watson, Wayne Gallman, Mike Williams, Jordan Leggett and Cordrea Tankersley did. Watkins decided to make the trip to Mobile because he feels he still has something to prove.

Watkins proved plenty during his career at Clemson. A two-time first-team All-ACC selection, he finished his career with 110 total tackles, including 25.5 tackles for loss and 14 sacks. His 10.5 sacks in 2016 were the most ever by a Clemson defensive tackle in a season.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said during the season that Watkins is a smart player who "can play every down and every situation."

"He is a heck of a football player, and I think he’s going to be drafted high," Swinney said.

Still, Watkins knows there are always things to work on. He feels he needs to prove he can stop the run, but expects to be a dominant player on the field this week.

"I feel as if I can do a lot of things that NFL scouts will want me to do, so I really just need to go out there and just be myself and just continue trying to dominate the line of scrimmage," Watkins said.

Watkins described his career at Clemson as an "incredible ride," but he’s ready to take the next step.

"Winning a national championship is definitely one of the biggest things that ever happened to me football-wise, but it’s done," Watkins said. "The celebrating is over. So it’s really time to move on and focus on what I’ve been dreaming about since I was like 5-6 years old: Playing in the NFL."

This story was originally published January 25, 2017 at 12:00 PM with the headline "Clemson's Carlos Watkins has something to prove at Senior Bowl."