5 draft prospects who entice 49ers at 2022 NFL Scouting Combine
By Peter Panacy
Pick Analysis. Wide Receiver. Memphis. player. Scouting Report. Calvin Austin III. 2. 858
49ers NFL Combine prospect to watch No. 2: WR Calvin Austin III, Memphis
A few things here…
San Francisco might be set with its top three wide receivers — Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings — entering 2022, and that trio is fine enough. But one has to figure head coach Kyle Shanahan would never be adverse to taking playmaking talent, especially those day-three hidden-gem options who could provide a spark.
At 5-foot-9 and 162 pounds, Memphis wide receiver Calvin Austin III isn’t going to climb too high on draft boards, and many teams will pass on him simply because of his tiny stature.
But when Austin gets the ball in his hands, watch out. The player is simply electrifying and epitomizes the definition of a playmaker.
| Receiving | Rushing | Scrimmage | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Plays | Yds | Avg | TD |
| *2018 | Memphis | American | FR | WR | 4 | 2 | 24 | 12.0 | 0 | 1 | 83 | 83.0 | 1 | 3 | 107 | 35.7 | 1 |
| *2019 | Memphis | American | SO | WR | 9 | 17 | 315 | 18.5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0.8 | 1 | 21 | 318 | 15.1 | 4 |
| *2020 | Memphis | American | JR | WR | 11 | 63 | 1053 | 16.7 | 11 | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | 0 | 65 | 1067 | 16.4 | 11 |
| 2021 | Memphis | American | SR | WR | 12 | 74 | 1149 | 15.5 | 8 | 1 | 69 | 69.0 | 1 | 75 | 1218 | 16.2 | 9 |
| Career | Memphis | 156 | 2541 | 16.3 | 22 | 8 | 169 | 21.1 | 3 | 164 | 2710 | 16.5 | 25 |
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference
Generated 2/25/2022.
Austin is another one of those players who has blazing-fast speed, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him flirt with a 4.30 40-yard time at the NFL Combine. What might be more intriguing to the 49ers, though, is how he displays agility and shiftiness, traits that might be revealed in his three-cone and 20-yard shuttle drills.
If those numbers wind up being impressive, the Niners might have to put a priority day-three pick on Austin’s draft profile.