The Washington Wizards roster is filled with an abundance of young talent and the league has began to take notice.
However, the young talent the league has taken notice of is the players that have found themselves atop nearly every conversation pertaining the Wizards dating back to the offseason.
Following a busy offseason, where the Wizards landed two high-upside prospects in the 2025 NBA Draft with the likes of Tre Johnson and Will Riley headlining the list of incoming talent to join Washington.
Not to mention, the list of other intriguing prospects already on the roster with Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George coming to mind.
Despite that, Washington's roster is filled with several other prospects, who have shown enough flashes that it wouldn't be a shock to see them put themselves on opposing team's radar sooner rather than later.
One player in specific who's beginning to turn heads is rookie Jamir Watkins, who's quietly begin to impress his teammates since arriving iin the DMV.
With recent praise from rising star and arguably the cornerstone of the Wizards, Alex Sarr, Washington's fanbase should pay close attention to why Watkins could carve out a role in D.C. in the near future.
Alex Sarr praises Jamir Watkins' defensive upside
Following the Wizards' recent win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night, Sarr was asked about the impact of rookie Jamir Watkins, who provided disruptive defense in his 12 minutes of play off the bench.
With two steals in those limited minutes, the Wizards' 7-footer made it clear just how impactful the Florida State product is on that side of the court.
“He’s [Watkins] a lockdown defender, he really is," Sarr said. "He gets under people’s skin, makes them uncomfortable. It’s hard to bring the ball up against him.”
Entering the NBA Draft, Watkins calling card was clearly on the defensive side of the court despite his career-year with the Seminoles, averaging 18.4 points on the offensive end.
In a limited role with the Wizards throughout the season, Watkins' offensive upside hasn't been displayed much, but when given the opportunity to see the floor, it seems as if his defensive flashes show themselves time and time again.
With great size and tremendous defensive instincts, Watkins has the ability to develop into one of the most versatile defenders on Washington's roster.
Although it may take some time for the rest of his game to develop, it's clear that his defensive upside could allow for him to carve out a role on the Wizards moving forward.