Cowboys' Potential Draft Pick: Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia

West Virginia wide receiver Tavon Austin is perhaps the most electrifying player in the 2013 NFL Draft. Austin caught 114 passes for 1,289 yards in 2012, adding another 643 rushing yards on the ground.

Scouting Report

Austin is a do-it-all receiver capable of taking any touch to the house. He averaged an amazing 9.5 yards-per-carry on 109 career rushes at West Virginia. He also scored five touchdowns on kickoff and punt returns.

Austin had elite change-of-direction and lateral quickness—probably the best of each for any player in this draft. He accelerates to full speed in the blink of an eye and, more important, he can cut on a dime. Austin is also unusually strong for his size, regularly breaking tackles to give him yet another way to provide elite run-after-catch ability.

The biggest issue with Austin is obviously his 5-9, 174-pound frame. It speaks to Austin’s immense talent that he’s considered a surefire first-round pick despite that size, but it’s a real concern. Take a look at the top 10 wide receivers in the NFL last year. They’re all at least 6-1 and over 200 pounds.

Austin can and will add a new dimension to any offense, but it’s fair to question whether or not he can do what offenses ultimately need to do—score touchdowns. His touchdown rate as a receiver was just above 10 percent—good but not outstanding—and he’s unlikely to improve upon that mark against bigger, faster competition. Austin’s hands are also very small at just over nine inches, which is why he’s not a totally natural catcher.

NFL Comparison: Percy Harvin

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Harvin is the obvious comparison because there aren’t too many Austin-like players out there. The biggest difference is that Harvin stands two inches taller than Austin, and that can make a difference inside.

Projection

Austin will be a first-round pick, perhaps in the top 15. The St. Louis Rams—with two first-round selections and a desperate need for a play-making receiver—look like a great fit.

Fit In Dallas

The big question is whether or not the Cowboys would really consider Austin—who they’d need to grab with the No. 18 overall selection—with Miles Austin and Dez Bryant already in town. While many people consider Austin to be a legitimate option for Dallas, the only way they’ll pull the trigger is if they have him rated as a top 10 talent. Despite his obvious skills, I don’t think you can rank any receiver who stands 5-9 in your top 10.

Other Scouting Reports

Ezekiel Ansah, DE, BYU

Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri

Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas

Jonathan Cooper, G, UNC

Barkevious Mingo, DE, LSU

Johnathan Hankins, DT, Ohio State

Chance Warmack, G, Alabama

Dion Jordan, DE/OLB, Oregon

Jonathan Jenkins, DT, Georgia

D.J. Fluker, OT, Alabama

Jarvis Jones, DE/OLB, Georgia

Barrett Jones, C, Alabama

Sylvester Williams, DT, UNC

Alec Ogletree, LB, Georgia

Kevin Minter, LB, LSU

Larry Warford, G, Kentucky

Jonathan Cyprien, S, Florida International

Datone Jones, DT/DE, UCLA

Jesse Williams, DT, Alabama

Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford

Dallas Thomas, OT, Tennessee

Phillip Thomas, S, Fresno State

Margus Hunt, DE, SMU

Menelik Watson, OT, Florida State

Corey Lemonier, DE, Auburn

Arthur Brown, LB, Kansas State

Terron Armstead, OT, Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Kyle Long, G/T, Oregon

Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State

Khaseem Greene, LB, Rutgers

Shamarko Thomas, S, Syracuse

Stansly Maponga, DE, TCU

Tyler Bray, QB, Tennessee

Bacarri Rambo, S, Georgia

Justin Pugh, G, Syracuse

Jonathan Bales is the founder of The DC Times. He writes for DallasCowboys.com and the New York Times. He's also the author of Fantasy Football for Smart People: How to Dominate Your Draft.

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