Is Calvin Austin III the Rookie Wide Receiver to Watch in the NFL?
- Darryl White
- Sep 2, 2022
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 16
Our thoughts on 2022 NFL rookie Wide Receiver Calvin Austin III.
Measurables:
5'8", 170 lbs
4.32 (98th percentile) 40-yard dash
39" Vertical jump
11'3" Broad jump (99th percentile)
95th percentile Burst score
96th percentile Agility score
99.8 percentile 10-yard split all time
"Like watching Bo Jackson in Tecmo Bowl. - "
Strengths:
If you didn't realize, Austin has excellent straight-line speed and competed in track for two years at Memphis.
He uses early hesitation and speed to get loose deep. He recorded five receptions of 50 plus yards in 2021.
Austin displays dependable hands and good body control to grab anything thrown in his area while seamlessly putting the ball away to get downfield.
He averaged 11.1 yards per punt return and ran two back for touchdowns.
He finished with an average of 95.8 yards per game, which was good for first in the ACC.
PFF gave him the highest wide receiver grade at the Senior Bowl.
Despite his size, 90% of his routes were on the outside.
Weaknesses:
Size is the most apparent issue, as he is undersized and won't get that much bigger.
Words used to describe Austin; jitterbug, tiny, and gadget. Words you don't want to see used for any NFL player.
Because of his size, he is seen as a slot wide receiver at the NFL level, but he graded poorly over the middle.
He struggled to get off the line against press coverage at the line, and he did not have a lot of success in contested situations.
He benefited from a quick passing attack at Memphis.
While he had some excellent moments on special teams, he also muffed three punts over the last two seasons.
Scouting Report
If you think of Calvin Austin, Tavon Austin should come to mind. At best, he may have a brief moment of relevance as a gadget player or as a returner. At some point, there will be a crazy amount of hype surrounding him, which is when you sell high. We don't think he should be on your roster, but if you find yourself with the last pick in the draft, you can take him and hope for a nice trade profit in the future.
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