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Kevin Austin Jr. NFL Draft 2022: Scouting Report for Notre Dame WR
HEIGHT: 6'2 3/8"
WEIGHT: 200
HAND: 9"
ARM: 32 7/8"
WINGSPAN: 6'7 1/4"
40-YARD DASH: 4.43
3-CONE: 6.71
SHUTTLE: 4.15
VERTICAL: 39"
BROAD: 11'0"
POSITIVES
— Quality deep threat. Good speed (testing and on film) and tracks the ball well.
— Moments of smooth movement in and out of his breaks, particularly on routes over the middle.
— Flashed the ability to beat press with hands and strength.
— Locates the ball well with strong hands. Can make plays in traffic.
— Strong, energetic blocker, both outside and from the slot.
— Played all over. Isolated, outside, inside, etc. Helped ND offense align however it wanted.
NEGATIVES
— Can be too reliant on his physicality to get him open or off the line of scrimmage. Won't be as easy in the NFL.
— Needs to develop consistency as a route-runner. Has the athletic tools to make it work.
— Needs to add more tools at the line of scrimmage to beat press. Quickness and foot speed are lacking.
— Not much wiggle with the ball in his hands. Needs his speed unleashed in the open field.
2021 STATISTICS
12 G, 48 REC, 888 YDS (18.5 AVG), 7 TD
NOTES
— 4-star recruit in 2018.
— Started in only the 2021 season.
— Missed the entire 2019 season, partly due to a four-game suspension.
— Missed a majority of the 2020 season with a broken foot.
OVERALL
Kevin Austin Jr. is a downfield threat with just enough of everything else to warrant serious intrigue as a high-level developmental prospect.
Speed is a core principle of Austin's game. Though he isn't a truly elite burner, Austin plays with very good speed both down the field and across it. Moreover, he finds the ball well down the field. He flashes moments of climbing the ladder to high-point the ball, as well as some tough contested and acrobatic catches on the sideline.
Austin's speed shows up with the ball in his hands, too. He is more of a straight-line burner than a complete yards-after-catch threat, but he gets the job done.
Austin will be able to play all over the formation as well. He has the frame to play both inside and out, including as an isolated X receiver. In addition to size, Austin brings a ton of strength and effort as a blocker, often overwhelming his opponents. His blend of size, blocking prowess and speed allowed him to line up all over the formation for Notre Dame and help unlock the rest of the offense to do what it needed to.
With that being said, Austin is raw as a real receiver right now. While he can beat press from time to time with his hands and strength, he does have a tendency to be too patient and end up slow off the snap. He must learn how to be quicker at the line and disarm press on his terms.
Austin could also stand to tighten up his route running. He has moments of smooth breaks, particularly on YAC-oriented routes over the middle, but his work on sharp breaks and timing routes can be erratic. Austin will need to start winning more with footwork and tempo rather than physicality and raw speed to become a complete receiver.
Austin's size, speed, blocking and positional flexibility should make him a depth contributor sooner than later. Although he's incomplete out of the gate, he should be able to provide some degree of value early on as a field-stretcher, both from the slot and outside. Austin will need time to iron out the finer parts of his game, but he could develop into a decent role-playing starter by the end of his rookie deal.
GRADE: 6.6 (Potential Role Player - 4th Round)
OVERALL RANK: 147
POSITION RANK: WR23
PRO COMPARISON: Sammy Watkins
Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen