Seahawks Draft Profile: Calvin Austin III

Receiver may be one of the Seahawks' most secured position groups right now, but that may not deter them from adding even more talent to the mix during the 2022 NFL Draft. If so, bringing aboard another speed-demon like Memphis' Calvin Austin III could be in the cards.

With the 2022 NFL Draft set to kick off in Las Vegas on Thursday, April 28, the Seahawks will have a chance to kickstart a new era for the franchise with eight selections, including a top-10 pick and four picks total in the first three rounds.

Over the next month leading up to draft weekend, the AllSeahawks writing staff will dish out in-depth profiles on numerous prospects who could be targets on Seattle's big board.

Next up in the series: Memphis receiver Calvin Austin III—one of the fastest players in this year's draft.

Background

Austin didn't play much until his junior season in 2020. But once he finally cracked Memphis' starting lineup, he quickly became one of the most exciting receiving threats in the nation. With back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons to wrap up his collegiate career, Austin scored a combined 18 touchdowns through the air and added another on the ground between 2020 and 2021. As a result, he earned first-team All-AAC honors in both years and further bolstered his résumé with an impressive performance at the combine in which he finished with the fifth-best 40-yard dash time (4.32 seconds) among all participants. 

Strengths

The most obvious strength of Austin's game is, of course, his practically elite speed and quickness. He's not a one-trick pony who can only kick it into high gear on a straight line, though. He moves well laterally, whether it be working a route over the middle of the field or taking a jet sweep upfield, weaving his way through incoming traffic with quality cuts and above-average burst. 

Despite his smaller hands, Austin has been a reliable pass catcher who keeps the ball secure even when taking a hit at the catch point. He adjusts his body well to limit contact and salvage less-than-stellar throws.  

Austin also handled punt return duties in his junior and senior years and was effective in the role. He returned a punt for a touchdown in each of those seasons, 323 yards (11.1 per attempt) on 25 returns. 

Weaknesses

Austin's size is a major cause for hesitation and may even completely eliminate him off the draft boards of some teams. While he displayed a great deal of toughness in college, it's hard not to worry if his current 5-foot-7^3/4, 170-pound build will hold up at the highest level and if his speed and quickness can make up for the lack of stature.

That will be particularly important in regards to his ability to win off the line of scrimmage consistently. For now, it seems likely that bigger, stronger corners with sound technique will be able to seal Austin off before he can get to his top speed. Considering that he doesn't have much room to grow physically without sacrificing some of that athleticism, he'll need to develop repeatable workarounds to come out on top in certain matchups. Overall, though, his size may cap his ceiling to about 20 or so snaps per game. Even with his home run hitting ability, there's only so much value to that kind of profile.

In addition to his technique at the line, Austin could also stand to improve upon his route running prowess. Although he's not abysmal in this department, his routes can get a bit lackadaisical at times and need more crispness. 

Fit in Seattle

Even with two All-Pros and a recent second-round pick in their receiving corps, the Seahawks are unlikely to stop adding talent there. Austin's skillset is a bit redundant with what's already in tow, sure, but head coach Pete Carroll would likely argue that you cannot have enough speed on your roster. At the very least, there appears to be more upside here than what Freddie Swain provides. 

So despite the glaring warts of his size and technical shortcomings, Austin's loud tools are sure to catch the attention of Carroll and company. But they may only pick up the phone if the young wideout falls into the third or fourth round. 

Previous Seahawks NFL Draft Profiles

Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina | Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa | Arnold Ebiketie, EDGE, Penn State | Tyler Allgeier, RB, BYU | Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati | Tariq Woolen, CB, UTSA | Cameron Thomas, EDGE, San Diego State | Trevor Penning, T, Northern Iowa | Hassan Haskins, RB, Michigan | Abraham Lucas, T, Washington State | Troy Andersen, LB, Montana State | Boye Mafe, EDGE, Minnesota | Kingsley Enagbare, DE, South Carolina | Cade Otton, TE, Washington | Rasheed Walker, T, Penn State | Brandon Smith, LB, Penn State | Daniel Faalale, T, Minnesota | Dameon Pierce, RB, Florida | Ahmad Gardner, CB, Cincinnati | Charles Cross, T, Mississippi State