Practices for the 2022 Senior Bowl begin on Tuesday and many of the nation’s top prospects will be on display for coaches and scouts to evaluate.
With the Chargers having needs at various positions, we will do our best to evaluate the players that we feel fit the team precisely.
Today, I am taking a look at Memphis wide receiver Calvin Austin III.
Calvin Austin III, Memphis, #4, Senior, Austin, TX, 5’9”, 162
40-yard Dash: N/A
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: N/A
Broad Jump: N/A
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Career: 2021 First Team All-AAC selection. Had 156 catches, 2,541 receiving yards, and 22 touchdowns in 36 games. Competed in track and field during his four-year career at Memphis. Former walk-on that chose his hometown school over other offers.
Red Flags: None
Strengths: Firecracker off the line that employs a diverse array of releases to explode past his defender and win during his opening steps. Showcases fast feet and quick, short strides that blast away from press strikes and help him avoid getting crammed toward the beginning of his route. Has premier speed that can stretch the field, blow up secondaries, and make defenses respect the game-changing potential of his vertical talent. His burners will compete for the status as the fastest player in the draft. Calculated route runner that sinks his hips well and accelerates effortlessly through various intervals of his assignment. Tough and dauntless when extending for catches he knows will come with punishment. Slick creator after the catch that melts pursuit angles with his twitch and finds a way to escape plugged lanes in the open field.
Weaknesses: Contact balance and ability to absorb hits weakened by smaller size and frame. Not a delicate player by any means, but concerns persist over his durability taking shots over the middle. Can be completely smothered and bashed around by bigger defenders if he is unable to separate. Lack of length diminishes his catch radius and will require heightened accuracy from the quarterback on contested targets. While he enjoyed plenty of time outside at Memphis, he will be required to operate from the slot and benefit from manufactured touches at the next level.
Final Word: Shifty and bursting with energy, Austin is an explosive product that has proved size isn’t everything when playing wide receiver. With top-end speed, unpredictable route running, and electric playmaking with the ball in his hands, Austin is a complete receiver that is far from the gadget role a player of his stature would typically be projected as. Austin projects as a dynamic slot man that can galvanize an offense through his cleverness as a separation specialist.
Fit Likelihood: High
Grade: 2nd
Film Highlights
Austin earning a free inside release with a jab step against press coverage before losing the defensive back at the top of his route for the touchdown.
Oh my. Cold release off the line and even better at the top of the route. Great job with his eyes on the peek.
Calvin Austin – Memphis pic.twitter.com/F3KScKGF6e
— Big CROCKY⚡️ (@eric_crocker) December 24, 2020
Austin slashing through the Navy defense on a reverse play.
Memphis WR Calvin Austin III will kill your defense any way he likes and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it. He’s in my Top 100 players in the 2022 #NFLDraft class at the present moment… #CollegeFootball | #GoTigersGo pic.twitter.com/t5iuFXtssS
— Oliver Hodgkinson (@ojhodgkinson) October 15, 2021
