Austin finished his college career with 140 tackles and four interceptions for the Beavers.
Orchard Park, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills finished their 2023 NFL Draft by selecting Oregon State cornerback Alex Austin with the no. 252nd pick in the seventh round on Saturday night.
Austin started 30 games and finished his four-year career with 140 tackles, four interceptions, 24 passes defended, three fumble recoveries and a sack.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler ranked Austin as his 29th-best cornerback in the draft class and had a sixth-round grade on him. Brugler said that Austin is “zone-aware,” has balance in his transitions and trusts his eyes.
“He gets upright in his coverage movements, which affects his ability to gather, click and close, and he must become more reliable shedding blocks and finishing tackles,” Brugler wrote. “Austin is a heady cover man and uses length to never stray too far from the route, but he is an average-twitch mover and lacks the explosiveness to easily make up false steps. He projects best in a predominantly zone scheme where he can work in short areas.”
The Bills acquired the no. 252 pick in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams. General manager Brandon Beane traded back 37 spots and picked up an additional sixth-round pick in the 2024 draft. An earlier trade out of a sixth-round pick brought back another 2024 sixth-round pick for the Bills in a deal with the Houston Texans. The Bills now have 10 picks in next year’s draft counting an expected compensatory pick.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein said that Austin’s size, length and football IQ work in his favor but consistency in man coverage will limit how many teams can see him in their defense. Bills coach Sean McDermott runs a zone-heavy scheme, likely a fit for Austin’s skill set.
“He plays with below-average top-end speed and recovery burst in man coverage, but his instincts and awareness take him where he needs to go from off-man and zone coverage,” Zierlein wrote. “Austin can play some press and a variety of zones and offers backup potential as a Day 3 option.”
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