West Virginia product showed he is NFL material with a blazing quick, official mark of 4.34 in the 40-yard dash.
Tavon Austin might have locked up a spot in the first round of the NFL Draft with his time in the 40-yard dash. The West Virginia wide receiver ran the 40 in an unofficial 4.25 seconds, an insanely fast time. The time was later confirmed a 4.34, good for second-fastest in the combine behind Texas' Marquise Goodwin, who ran an official. 4.27.
Austin was going to need a good showing at the combine to cement his status in the NFL. At 5'9 and 174 pounds, he's not your prototypical NFL receiver. But prototypical NFL receivers are pleased with 4.4 second 40's. Sub-4.4s are pretty much unheard of, so Austin proved his value with his speed.
Here's a look at just how fast Austin is:
Austin had over 1,000 yards receiving in both his junior and senior seasons, but what will likely impress NFL teams is his versatility. The Paul Hornung Award winner ran back kicks and punts for the Mountaineers, taking one of each to the house in 2012, and when called upon to play running back against Oklahoma, he exploded with 344 yards rushing. You can't teach speed, and Austin appears to have plenty of it.
In other news, congrats to Goodwin for just edging Austin on his deal with Adidas! And/or being drafted by the Raiders.
More in the NFL:
• ’Best player available’ and other lies
• Linemen running the 40 will inspire you
• Players to watch Saturday at the Combine
• Mike Mayock explains why he likes big butts


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