With on-field drills starting at the NFL Combine on Thursday, one name Buffalo Bills fans could be hearing a lot more about is University of Memphis wide receiver Calvin Austin.
What may work best for the Bills is this isn’t a move the team will likely have to make in the first round.
Where Bills fans could start to fall in love with Austin is his unrelenting speed.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill lives in both the nightmares and dreams of Bills fans. Having a player who's comparable to Hill and mix in with the likes of Stefon Diggs, Gabriel Davis and Dawson Knox could take this offense to another level.
Isaiah McKenzie can be looked at as the preview for what a player of Austin’s skill set could bring to the Buffalo offense. This isn’t even offering the idea of what both players could bring to the offense.
Until later in the 2021 season, the Bills very rarely had true unfair speed on the field. While Austin’s best attribute is his speed, he is also a fantastic separator with a great first step off the line. He uses every bit of his 5-foot-9 frame to get open.
The 22-year-old could also be just the player to unlock the Bills' screen game, which has been painfully lacking over the past few years. Josh Allen and the Bills offense have seemingly no layups in the offense, but Austin's speed and separation ability at the line of scrimmage could allow Buffalo to find those easy chunk plays.
Austin isn’t just a slot guy, as he was often used on the outside while playing with the Tigers in Memphis.
Another aspect of Austin's game that could make him a favorable player for the Bills is he was complete weapon while at Memphis. Kick returns, punt returns, outside receiver, slot receiver. Since 2020, he was one of the best ranked wide receivers in the American Athletic Conference, finishing that two-year run with 137 catches, 19 touchdowns and over 2,000 yards.
However, Austin's main weakness is that 5-foot-9 and 170-pound frame. There are legitimate concerns that Austin will just develop into a gadget guy who can’t touch the ball nearly as much as he needs to really feel the full effect.
Despite that, scouts are still raving about the player, and so should the Bills.
With Diggs and Davis already being established wideouts in Buffalo, Knox having his breakout season at tight end this past year, plus the potential of keeping one or both of McKenzie and Cole Beasley, Austin can ease his way into the NFL, while also offering the Bills the explosive weapon they desperately need.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane has already said if there is a another player like Hill out there, let him know.
Well, Mr. Beane, your best bet may just be Austin.
