Carlos Watkins was born on December 5, 1993, he is an American football defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He currently wears the number 88 jersey. He played college football at Clemson.
Watkins attended Chase High School in Forest City, North Carolina. As a junior, he tallied 50 tackles (29 for loss) and 14.0 sacks.
As a senior, he made 15 sacks, one interception, and 5 forced fumbles. He played in the Shrine Bowl and the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. He also lettered in basketball, averaging over 21 points and 10 rebounds per game as a junior.
Watkins accepted a football scholarship from Clemson University. As a true freshman in 2012, he played in nine games, recording 16 tackles (one for loss) and 3 quarterback pressures.
Watkins was selected by the Houston Texans in the fourth round (142nd overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft. The Texans acquired the pick by trading Brock Osweiler to the Cleveland Browns. As a rookie, he appeared in 12 games with 6 starts, playing defensive end in a 3-4 defense. He made 21 tackles (3 for loss) and one pass defense.
On March 22, 2021, Watkins signed with the Dallas Cowboys, to play as a defensive tackle in a 4-3 defense. On December 2, 2021, Watkins intercepted a pass from New Orleans QB Taysom Hill and returned it for his first NFL touchdown.
On March 22, 2022, Watkins re-signed with the Cowboys on a one-year contract. He was released on August 30, 2022, and signed to the practice squad the next day. He was promoted to the active roster on October 22.