2022 NFL DRAFT PROSPECT REPORT
- Name: Kevin Austin
- Position: Wide Receiver
- School: Notre Dame
- Height: 6'2"
- Weight: 200lbs
Film Watched: Cincinnati 2021, North Carolina 2021
Pro's:
- Height-weight-speed specimen with all the numbers the NFL looks for in a big bodied receiver
- Shredded torso with powerful upper and lower halves
- Physically dominant. Bullies DB’s through the route stem, along sidelines and at the catch point
- Plays with a nastiness, imposing his will on a defender
- Developed as a vertical threat, with sufficient burst, acceleration and top speed to stress defenses
- Aggressive runner with the ball in his hand, and will barrel through uncommitted contact
- Can get to a dangerous speed if he sees a crease, and is difficult to bring down in the open field
- Exploded as a senior with unforeseen production – and got better as the year went on
Kevin Austin is a WR prospect in the 2022 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.89 RAS at the Combine out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 29 out of 2557 WR from 1987 to 2022. https://t.co/yQ5IiryhM1 #RAS via @Mathbomb pic.twitter.com/SBapPlrWiB
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 4, 2022
Con's:
- Remarkably raw. Almost every area of technique is in it’s developmental phase
- Release package one-dimensional, no use of misdirection with footwork to displace attention
- Limited route tree ran at Notre Dame
- A little stiff as you might expect for his size. Notable gearing down into sharp breaks
- Just 17 games at the college level – five before his senior year, with just 108 yards to his name
- Injury history worth a second look – a foot problem in 2020 required two surgeries, limiting him to four games
- Disciplinary concerns; suspended for a whole season by Notre Dame (2019 – unknown)
The Verdict:
“Draftniks looking for the next NFL receiver that nobody knows about seem to have settled on Kevin Austin, the Fighting Irish pass catcher who before this year had all the size and speed you wanted but just six catches with a golden helmet on his head. After his career was derailed by significant suspension and injury, the Notre Dame wideout finally unleashed his potential, putting up almost 900 yards and 7 TD’s as a senior. There’s little to be unhappy about with the measurables; Austin is a specimen and has the demeanour and ball skills to go with it. But with such little experience under his belt it’s no surprise he’s an unrefined prospect that’s all projection at this point. That makes his floor low but ceiling high as a prospect, and as a day three pick Kevin Austin could be the wide receiver sleeper of this draft class.”
Simon Carroll
Head Of NFL Draft Content
NFL COMPARISON: PRESTON WILLIAMS
PREDICTION: 6TH ROUND PICK
Rated 5 out of 5