Bless

Austin

Austin is a big corner measuring close to 6-foot-1, 200 pounds with over 32-inch arms. The issue is Austin has missed major pieces of the last two seasons, unfortunately, due to an ACL tear in 2017 and another injury in 2018. If Austin can stay healthy, he has a chance to stick on the Jets in a depth role.

Austin (6'1/198) is showing improvements as he continues his rehab from ACL surgery. At Rutgers Pro Day, Austin ran it in 4.69 seconds, but nobody was concerned given he’s not near 100% right now. Before his season was cut short, Austin was considered one of the top corners in the class, but his injury history will likely keep him out of the top rounds.

Austin (6'1"/198) is still recovering from his 2018 ACL surgery and he plans to re-run his forty a week before the NFL Draft when he’ll be closer to 100-percent. Heading into the 2018 season, Austin was considered one of the top cornerback prospects of the class, so his medical evaluations are going to be a major part of his draft stock.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise, as Austin (6'1/198) suffered season-ending ACL tears in both 2017 and 2018. “He’s long and can cover, but he’s a skinny kid who might not be able to stay healthy in a very physical game,” the executive said. Austin only tested in the bench press at the NFL Scouting Combine, finishing with 15 reps. NFL.com has given the corner an “NFL backup or special teams potential” projection, and the medical evaluations will heavily influence where he’s selected in next month’s draft.

While prepping for workouts for NFL teams, these prospects get to another level physically, and Austin is no different. A before and after document shows that Austin has added eight pounds of weight -- he now weighs 197 pounds -- while dropping his body fat percentage from 5.3 to 4.6 percent. While impressive, Austin needs to show team doctors that his knees are ready to go since he has suffered two torn ACLs.

Austin (6'1/195) had one year of eligibility remaining to his fair name, as he sustained a torn ACL one game into the 2018 campaign and could have taken a redshirt for the campaign. That was his second torn ACL in as many years. Medical checks will obviously be key to his eventual draft slot. When healthy, Austin has a strong nose for the ball, having picked off one pass in each of his four seasons with the Scarlet Knights (including a pick in the team’s 2018 opener). He is a potential Day 2 prospect in the eyes of Draft Analyst’s Tony Pauline, but again, medical checks are going to go a long way toward determining whether he’s able to crack the first two days of the draft.

Ash made the unfortunate pronouncement during his weekly radio show on Wednesday. Austin (6'1/195) tore his ACL against Nebraska last September, with that injury forcing him out for the rest of the 2017 campaign, but he made strong headway in his rehab and was back on the field against Texas State in this year’s opener. Alas, while making an interception, the senior corner again sustained a potentially serious knee injury. He subsequently sat out against Ohio State this past weekend. Ash said on the radio show that a decision on surgery would be known one way or another on Friday. Look for true frosh Avery Young to be out there starting in his place against Kansas this weekend. Draft Analyst’s Tony Pauline currently has the cornerback graded as a Round 2 or Round 3 prospect, though obviously his health will be closely scrutinized come the spring evaluating season.

The specifics of the knee injury are unknown at this time. It’s a huge loss for Rutgers, as Austin is their best draft prospect on the Scarlet Knights. He missed 2/3 of last year with a torn ACL, but it’s not known if the two injures are connected right now. The Rutgers’ secondary wasn’t exactly a dominant unit even with Austin. It’s probably going to be a rough Saturday for the Scarlet Knights.

It’s understandable if you laugh considering how bad Rutgers is, but there’s legitimate next-level talent on Rutgers now, particularly on defense. Austin (6'1/195) was impressive in his sophomore year and the first month of his junior, but he tore his ACL against Nebraska and missed the rest of the year. He’s obviously be heavily scrutinized in terms of medicals, but with solid size and recovery speed, it’s easy to see him going in the first 100 picks if he’s healthy in 2018.

Austin (6'1/195) is a major loss for the Rutgers defense. He was an honorable-mention corner in the Big Ten in 2017, and was playing well before suffering the injury against the Cornhuskers. Austin was a potential NFL draft pick this April, but it’d be surprising if he entered his name coming off the injury.