Blessuan Austin NFL Draft 2019: Scouting Report for New York Jets' Pick

STRENGTHS

—Possesses the desired height (6'1"), length (32½" arms) and hand size (10") to compete against any physical profile in the NFL.

—Almost immediately started at Rutgers and showed impressive ascension over freshman and sophomore seasons before injuries.

—Has some recoil in his hips that helps him drop weight and burst out with pace and ease.

—Length creates difficult throws and affects angles that quarterbacks have to navigate, particularly on the boundary and down the field.

WEAKNESSES

—Torn ACL ended 2017 season after only four games; injured knee in 2018, ending season after one game.

—Evaluation is almost entirely a projection of who he could be based off limited recent tape and will naturally be impacted by two straight seasons of injuries.

—Frame is top-heavy and weight needs to be redistributed to bolster a thin lower body, especially given the need to rebuild strength throughout his bottom half.

—Needs to develop hand usage at the line of scrimmage to disrupt releases when necessary or disengage from blocks.

OVERALL

Blessuan Austin was headed for four straight seasons of being a leader in the Rutgers defensive backfield before season-ending knee injuries derailed his 2017 and 2018 seasons. His evaluation is going to come down to whether teams think he can continue that growth or if the injuries have limited who he can become. He has an excellent athletic profile but has to prove his lower body can hold up to NFL standards.

GRADE: 5.75 (ROUND 4 - BACKUP CALIBER)

PRO COMPARISON: Eli Apple