2022 draft: 5 sleepers 49ers must watch closely at NFL Combine
By Peter Panacy
Memphis. Calvin Austin III. 858. Wide Receiver. 1. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis
49ers draft sleeper No. 1: WR Calvin Austin III, Memphis
If Memphis wide receiver Calvin Austin III was a couple of inches taller and a few pounds heavier, he’d easily be a first- or second-round pick.
However, the 5-foot-9 and 162-pound Austin is going to see his draft stock fall significantly simply because NFL teams will be concerned whether or not his tiny frame will withstand the rigors of the pro grame.
That might work to the Niners’ benefit, though.
| 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 2/28/2022.
In addition to back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons, Austin has also scored a touchdown in the punt-return game in each of the last two years, too.
Simply put, he’s electrifying when he gets the ball in his hands, and that speed will be something teams will want to see during the NFL Combine.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan has never truly prioritized big-bodied wide receivers anyway, and the explosiveness Austin possesses might be the kind of X-factor trait Shanahan will want to add a spark, both to the offense and potentially in the return game, too.
Austin could wind up being a gem of a find despite his tiny stature.
Next. Ranking 49ers' 10 best late-round NFL Draft picks in team history. dark