Buffalo Bills 2022 NFL Draft Prospect to Know: Calvin Austin III

If the Buffalo Bills want to add speed and yard after the catch ability to the wide receiver position, Calvin Austin III could be a great option for Day 3. Let’s take a closer look at the player and how he might fit with the Buffalo Bills.

Measurables/Stats

Height: 5’8″

Weight: 170 pounds

Arms: 30″

Hands: 9 1/4″

Calvin Austin played four seasons at the University of Memphis and was very productive in his final two seasons. He would surpass 1,000 receiving yards each season and averaged over 16 yards per reception. He also had 20 total touchdowns during that stretch, including 11 in 2020.

Last season, he had a stretch of five games where he had at least 100 receiving yards with two of those games breaking 200 receiving yards.

He also has some experience as a punt returner with 25 punt returns in 2020 and 2021 with one punt return for a touchdown in each season.

NFL.com Scouting Report by Lance Zierlein

"Productive playmaker with below-average size but above-average heart. Austin is below the acceptable size standards many teams have at wide receiver, but he is fearless, versatile and fast. He has proven he can handle the catch-and-run duties necessary in Memphis’ quick game. He has the rapid-fire foot quickness and loose hips to take on a more complex route tree as an NFL slot target. His lack of size shows up in contested catch battles so he will need to fine-tune the route-running to improve his catch windows. Austin’s ability to work all three levels of the field and handle punt-return duties increases his odds of becoming a Day 3 pick."

How Calvin Austin III fits with the Buffalo Bills

It is interesting to note that in Lance Zierlein’s scouting report, he compares Calvin Austin III to current Buffalo Bills’ wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie. Both players are undersized but have great speed that can make them a big-play threat however the coaching staff needs to have a scheme and plays that get them into open space.

The fact that Calvin Austin III does have some experience as a punt returner is an added bonus for the Buffalo Bills as they currently do not have a clear candidate to handle these duties in 2022. He likely would compete with players like Micah Hyde, Isaiah McKenzie, and Marquez Stevenson.

If the Bills do not pick a wide receiver early in the 2022 NFL Draft, a player like Calvin Austin III could be a great option because he does have that big-play ability and could be a factor even as a rookie at a position without taking away many targets from players like Stefon Diggs or Gabriel Davis.