Kansas City, Mo. (WGR 550) - With the Bills final pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, they go defense, selecting cornerback Alex Austin out of Oregon State with the 252nd pick.
As a redshirt Sophomore, Austin played and started 12 games for the Beavers in 2022. In his final season Austin had two interceptions to go along with 42 solo tackles, one sack, a fumble recovery, and 10 pass breakups. He was an All-Pac-12 honorable mention, as well as Pac-12 Defensive player of the Week (Oct. 24).
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In his redshirt freshman season in 2020, Austin made the Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll recording 29 tackles with half a tackle for loss, one fumble recovery and two pass breakups playing in seven games while making five starts.
Here is what NFL analyst Chad Reuter had to say about the 6-foot-1 native of Long Beach, California:
Austin was a three-star recruit out of Long Beach Poly near Los Angeles. He redshirted his first season, playing in three games as a reserve (seven tackles, one pass breakup). Austin was a five-game starter in 2020 (29 tackles, two pass breakups in seven appearances) and then garnered honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors as a sophomore (47 tackles, two interceptions, seven pass breakups in 13 starts) and junior (57 tackles, one sack, two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, with 10 pass breakups in 12 starts) before declaring for the draft. Alex’s younger brother, Daylen, signed to play at the University of Oregon in 2023.
Austin was the sixth last pick for the Bills in the 2023 NFL Draft.
