This was the skinny on Austin last year:
Miles Austin
Height: 6-2
Weight: 214
40 Speed: 4.51*
Position: Wide Receiver
College: Monmouth
Final Grade: I 5.8
GM JR Scouting LLC Grading Scale/Key
SUMMARY
Austin is one of the few small school receivers who actually lived up to the hype. He has excellent size for a receiver and, when he plays aggressively, he can run through arm/grab tackles, keep his feet vs. hard hits and break tackles to gain yards after contact. He has the hands to make great catches consistently -- he can adjust to off-target passes easily and does a very good job of shielding defenders from ball when he can't get separation to make tough catches down the field. In order for him to play up to his ability in the NFL, he is going to need to play more aggressively on every snap. He has all the tools to eventually become a solid starting possession receiver who can make a ton of catches on short/medium routes and can be a weapon in the red zone and a strong and powerful runner after the catch. However, he lacks the explosiveness and playing speed to be a stretch-the-field, home run threat type receiver.
CRITICAL FACTORS
Size Athletic Ability Hands Competes Play Speed Instincts
7.5 6.0 6.5 6.0 5.0 6.0
STRONG POINTS
Austin has excellent size for a receiver and when he runs aggressively after the catch, he can shrug off hits, break tackles and gain yards after contact. He has very good hands and has consistently shown the ability to adjust and make great catches on off-target throws. He has surprisingly quick feet for such a big receiver which helps him get off the ball and into his route quickly and he can change directions quickly to make tacklers miss running after the catch. He does a very good job of making tough catches with defenders trying to climb over his back -- he catches the over-the-shoulder pass remarkably well.
WEAKNESSES
Despite his quick feet, Austin does not have the burst of acceleration to get to full speed fast and lacks the playing speed to get separation deep down the field. He does not run very sharp pass routes and lacks the burst out of his cuts to get separation from cornerbacks consistently. Despite his size and strength, he does not consistently run aggressively with the ball after the catch and gets tackled by small defenders that should have no chance of tackling him. He has a bad habit of body catching the easy passes and ends up letting ball get into his body which leads to him dropping some passes he should catch. He does not consistently bend his knees and reach down to catch low passes well.
POSITIONAL FACTORS
Grade Category Comments/Description
6.5 Hands He has very good hands to catch ball easily away from his body -- he catches off-target throws very well.
6.0 Initial Quickness He gets moving quickly at the snap to get into his route fast, but after his first step, his acceleration is just adequate.
6.0 Clean Release He consistently gets off the ball and moving quickly, but lacks the burst to close the cushion on cornerbacks.
6.0 Release vs. Jam His size, strength, quickness and agility help him to consistently defeat the jam and get into his route fast.
5.0 Patterns His routes are raw and choppy and he tends to be a little nonchalant in routes -- he struggles to get separation.
7.0 Adjusts to Ball His hands, concentration and body control help him adjust and make great catches seem routine.
6.0 Run after Catch He has the quickness and strength to be an elusive and powerful runner after the catch, but he is not consistent.
5.5 Deep Threat He lacks the playing speed to get separation deep down the field, but makes over-the-shoulder catch routinely.
6.5 Hand/Eye Coordination He has the hand/eye coordination to reach out and make the tough catch seem easy.
6.0 Blocking His size, strength and effort enable him to consistently block his man out of the play.
5.0 Return Ability He lacks the explosiveness to be a big-play returner, but he has the strength and elusiveness to be adequate
5.5 Fumbles/Error He's not a fumbler, but occasionally will drop some passes within his frame that he should catch.
ATHLETIC ABILITY Section Grade: 6.0
Austin is a good athlete by NFL standards, but looked more like an elite athlete playing at Monmouth -- he was a real man among boys. His quick feet help him to consistently get moving quickly at the snap and he has flashed the ability to accelerate to full speed fast, but his burst of acceleration is not consistent and he is more of a one-speed, gather-to-full-speed runner. He lacks the explosive burst out of cuts to get separation from cornerbacks consistently. His quick feet combine with his agility to let him change directions quickly to avoid the jam and to avoid tacklers running after the catch. He has the natural flexibility to get down and catch the low pass when he wants to, but he does not consistently make the effort to catch the low pass. His combination of coordination, body control and hands let him consistently reach away from his body to make the great catch -- he really does an excellent job of making the tough over-the-shoulder catch look easy. His balance combines with his playing strength to let him keep his feet vs. hard hits and gain yards after contact when he runs with the ball aggressively.
Q.A.B. Quick Feet C.O.D. Flexibility Coordination
6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.5
COMPETITIVENESS Section Grade: 6.0
Austin is a tough player who not only has consistently shown a willingness to play hurt, but also has shown toughness catching passes in traffic, take the hard hit and hold onto the ball. He has consistently stepped up and been Monmouth's go-to-receiver and has made clutch catches time and time again. His overall production has been good throughout his career, but he has not been as dominant as expected based on his height, weight and speed. He catches a lot of passes and can make things happen after the catch. However, he does not show the explosive burst and playing speed to run away from defenders consistently and does not run aggressively after the catch often enough -- too often, he gets tackled by low/grab tackles and does not break as many tackles at this level as a receiver with his size should. While he does not run aggressively on a consistent basis, the rest of his game is pretty much consistent -- he catches the ball very well, can avoid tacklers running with the ball and keeps his feet vs. hard hits. He has been a good team player who consistently has shown a willingness to catch passes in traffic, makes tough catches easily and block defenders out of the play. He generally shows pride in his play, but he does not consistently give the effort to get down and catch low passes and does not consistently run hard with the ball after the catch which leads to him getting tackled by smaller defenders too easily.
Toughness Clutch Play Production Consistency Team Player Pride/Quit
6.0 6.5 6.0 6.0 6.0 5.5
MENTAL ALERTNESS Section Grade: 5.5
Austin seems to be a smart young man who learns football well, but it's a concern that he does not runs sharp routes and does not use his hands to catch passes within his frame. He has good instincts and they combine with his foot quickness to let him consistently get moving quickly at the snap and he can sense/feel the off-target throw and consistently reacts quickly to make the tough catch. He does a good job of maintaining his concentration to make the tough catch consistently, but he needs to stay focused better so that he runs more aggressively with the ball after every catch and consistently breaks tackles.
Learn/Retain Instincts/Reactions Concentration
5.5 6.0 5.5
STRENGTH/EXPLOSION Section Grade: 6.5
Austin has excellent size for a receiver at over 6-2 and 210 pounds -- he definitely looks the part on the "Hoof." His size, strength and athleticism have made him a very durable receiver at Monmouth, but he is going to have to get used to getting hit by much bigger and faster defenders in the NFL. He is not explosive in terms of bursting out of cuts to get separation and exploding past the defense running with the ball after the catch, but he does show explosiveness jumping up and plucking the high pass on jump balls. He has excellent natural strength for a receiver, but he does not consistently play up to it because he does not always run aggressively with the ball after the catch and gets tackled by smaller defenders way too often.
Body Type Durability Explosion Play Strength
7.5 6.0 5.5 6.0
http://www.nfl.com/draft/profiles/2006/austin_miles
