Nod to Tribune Review reporter Mark Kaboly for filming and posting this, a step forward for local media catching on to what fans want to see. The 400,000 views of this video (as of Saturday morning) is a strong indicator of the love of highlights and YouTube in common fan culture.
Breaking the nine-second clip down, it's really Steelers cornerback Lew Toler looking to cut the rookie Sammy Watkins off underneath on a supposed out-route. Watkins took the out route into a post and Toler wasn't anywhere near him.
Now, before this is made into much more than it really is (too late), let's keep in mind this is an undrafted, inexperienced cornerback going against the fourth pick in the draft in a one-on-one drill. Steelers' cornerbacks aren't brought in to play man anyway, and while it's a nice route run by Watkins, most receivers are gonna be able to get themselves open in 1-on-1 situations with no pass rush.
Kaboly's second video, which only has been viewed 3,000 times (as of Saturday morning), is probably at least as impressive as the first one.
First, Watkins is going against a starter, Cortez Allen. Second, he's challenged in a much more aggressive manner at the line of scrimmage. But the quickness at which Watkins gets off the line, not giving Allen a chance to get a hand on him, is impressive. He turns Allen around entirely, in fact, forcing him to wrong-turn and lose any competitive position he may have had with a jam.
Right as Watkins sees Allen recovering, he throws the comeback at him, and Allen isn't in position to do anything about it. It's a great example of a receiver fighting his way open, and these kinds of routes help boost a quarterback's passer rating in a hurry.
Still, it's fun to watch Watkins run - the fluidity of his movement and the grace at which he moves for his size is truly remarkable. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him have a big season in Buffalo.