Tavon Austin: I’m the best player in the draft

AP

For many prospects at the Scouting Combine, the primary goal when standing up at the podium in front of the assembled media is not to say anything controversial. But West Virginia wide receiver Tavon Austin is different.

Austin brashly proclaimed himself the best player in the draft when it was his turn to meet the media in Indianapolis. Asked if he views himself as the top player available at any position, Austin answered, “I think so.”

I think I am the all around best player in the draft,” Austin continued.

Austin is certainly a playmaker: In his senior season at West Virginia he caught 114 passes for 1,289 yards and 12 touchdowns, ran the ball 72 times for 643 yards and three touchdowns, returned 15 punts for 165 yards and one touchdown, and returned 33 kickoffs for 813 yards and one touchdown. In the NFL, he said, he’ll be a combination of Percy Harvin and Wes Welker.

Tavon Austin is not lacking for confidence.

114 responses to “Tavon Austin: I’m the best player in the draft

  1. He’s small but he made Geno Smith look like a Heiman winner for half the season. If you’ve watched him in person, or even on TV, you’d be hard pressed to say he’s an idiot for saying he’s the best all-around player. He’s an extreme talent and was a risk to score a TD almost every time he touched the ball.

  2. It’s just hard to find a guy that’s Austin’s size that you can point to and say he’s a franchise guy.

    Harvin is very productive, but if you look at that guy he’s pretty solid. He’s not as small as Austin is.

    Welker is vastly overrated. We’ll see this season how well he does when he’s not catching passes from Brady.

    Desean Jackson is a guy that’s probably most like Austin.

  3. IMO Corradelle Patterson would be the better option. Corradelle is 6’2 and 205lbs and will run in between a 4.4 and a 4.5. Tavon may be a tad quicker but at 5’9 and 180 I’d rather go with Patterson.

  4. Has this kid been hanging out ith Richard Sherman or Randy Moss? Dont worry young’un no one believers their BS either.

  5. If you think about it, in a way Tom Brady kind of said it. He didn’t say he was the best player but he told the Patriots he would be better than those taken ahead of him and they would not regret it. I like the confidence. Now, he just has to back it up. If there is anything that gets on my nerves is a player who thinks he is much better than he really is. Brady proved to back his up but didn’t get the media attention back then. Austin just needs to back it up but his stats, athletic ability, and confidence are impressive to me.

  6. The Patriots will let Welker go, draft Tavon Austin, and use the money they would of paid Welker to pay Vollmer and Talib. Best move they could make.

  7. dredddog,

    It’s funny you bring up Patterson because some of the draftniks say he is not anywhere near that good. I don’t put any stock at all in what they say. I know a couple of them are good but the one with CBS is just some guy and doesn’t have a track record and obviously doesn’t know anything about players because I agree with you that he is a great player.

    With that said, I personally think Patterson, Austin, Hopkins, and the Cal WR would be a fun foursome to watch. Patterson is a really good player.

  8. Seriously, what’s up with the wide receiver position.

    Is there a connection between your mouth being open and running good patterns?

    Shut your lips and push those thoughts into your head where they belong and have a great career.

    Then when your around 50 and being enshrined into The Hall, you can let it out.

  9. Anyone asking “who?” is not a college football fan and shouldn’t even be commenting.

  10. Lol Welker is overrated..all he does is catch slants..What he do in the Patriots last 2 big games? Only drop 2 passes that could’ve won games..he’s not the measuring stick for WRs by any means

  11. simmsmatic says:
    Feb 22, 2013 1:04 PM
    Yeah cause products of WVU have really been big time contributors in the NFL…

    Awwww so true just like those Baylor products…Oh wait RGIII won ROY. Scratch that never mind nothing to see here!

  12. most of u people are idiots he is probably the best all around player he does it all and i hate wv besides he was asked what should be say no im the tenth best player most of u are just haters and need to get a life

  13. The kid saying, he can do almost everything on Off and Special teams. That’s worth 3 or 4 players. Come back to B-Moore. I just hope NE doesn’t get him.

  14. Very similar to DeSean Jackson in size and speed. Will be an excellent playmaker with the right team.

  15. He was asked a question, what was he suppose to say? Oh no, I’m not a top player, I suck? I mean seriously, how can you criticise him for answering a question and showing confidence?

  16. Somewhere, Michael Irving is sitting back, wondering why he didnt say that in his draft interviews.

  17. I believe he is probably the best playmaking reciever in the whole draft. He can play inside and outside. He can also run the ball and is great on special teams. People really seem to hate the smaller recievers but they do all the dirty work. Also Wes Welker is not overrated. He had 4 seasons of 100+ receptions. Do you know how hard it is to get open against NFL defenses?! He has to work for it and sometimes he pays the price for catching the ball and he never complains to the refs. Desean Jackson is a speed demon with okay hands. He is great on special teams aswell. Having such speed he gets challenged at the line more and is doubled team like Welker alot leaving visible gaps in the coverages. Mike can’t pick them out but Brady can. This kid is good looking draft pick. Can’t wait to see him in the NFL this fall!

  18. That he is the “best” in the draft may be a bit of a stretch, but I would bet he is the fastest player in this draft. Watching him play this year, all I can say is:

    F. A. S. T. !!!

  19. Tayvon Austin is a definite playmaker. Whoever drafts him will get a quality player with a lot of upside and versatility. He could be a welcomed commodity in the “Whodat Nation” in my opinion. The loss of Meachem and the aging of Devery Henderson last season took a toll on our vertical threat last season. I can only imagine what Sean P. could dial up with Colston, Sproles, Graham, Moore, Morgan, Henderson (if he stays around), and Austin at his disposal. But wherever he goes he will be an asset!!!

  20. I like the confidence and moving him up a couple spots on my personal board.

    He will test well and think he is now a lock for rd. 1

    I think I’m right. We shall see.

  21. That is not “confidence”; it’s delusion. He could have easily shown confidence without showing a massive ego. The kid might just as well have said that he intends to hold out as soon as possible.

  22. Check the highlights.. This guy Balls! Playmaker.. Really really quick.. NINERS would be a great fit.. I would like to see him in red and gold.. I Bleed those colors

  23. phillylawhopeful says:
    Feb 22, 2013 1:24 PM
    Anyone asking “who?” is not a college football fan and shouldn’t even be commenting

    Thank you for beating me to it. He could have lead the NCAA in receiving, but they moved him to running back for the last few games of the season and he tore it up there, too.

  24. He has been taking marketing lessons from Richard Sherman. Confidence is important but for a WR it can easily turn into the diva label.

  25. When you look at this draft, there isn’t any one player that just looks like a pure stud. Austin definitely has a lot of skills, but I am a little worried about his size. But, who can you absolutely say is better? The only ones I can come up with are Chance Warmack….a guard for God’s sake……and Jarvis Jones (who was once released from USC for medical reasons).

  26. “And I can also TOAST adderall dude from Seattle”…..

    Mr Sherman? The floor is yours…….

  27. I love the confidence Tavon has.. For all the hater’s who have never watched him play, youtube him before u make a comment.. This guy is the second-coming of Percy Harvin 2.0, if not better (time will tell).. I hope to God he drops out of the 1st round & right into the Jags hands, who hold the 1st pick of the 2nd (#33)..
    If Tavon slides down to the 2nd (Jags pick him up), & say the Jags select Geno (which is a big possibility) in the 1st, the entire league better watch out for this team in a couple years, that is if Geno becomes the franchise QB we’ve been looking for. Very possible!
    He’d have a solid receiving corps in Shorts III, J. Blackmon, L. Robinson (if he plans to come back), T. Austin & J. Shipley, not to mention sprinkle a little MOJO dust in the backfield with a much improved OLine, the skies the limit for Geno.
    We’ll see in a month!

  28. I watched this dude and he is the truth. I dont understand why anyone with confidence is deliberately attacked by the public. It is sad the world that we live enjoys tearing people down more than picking them up…

  29. Austin never really had any character concerns in college, so I think the whole “diva” label is misguided. He was asked a question and he answered it. It wasn’t the politically correct answer, but it was an honest one at least in his mind. Is honesty no longer the best policy? Has it been replaced by having to say what is politically correct?

  30. Look, coaches love guys who can transition quickly to the NFL. A lot of these young guys coming up have only ever played in a spread offense and have trouble making the leap to unbearable diva wideout right away. Tavon Austin clearly demonstrated today that he will have no such issues.

    Geno Smith was a great leader in Morgantown, so Austin didn’t really get a chance to become a locker room problem. However, this performance early in the combine convinced all of his doubters that Austin will have no difficulty coming in and contributing to a locker room schism right away.

    Some may still not be sure he’s prepared to put in the work associated with the diva lifestyle, but Austin has already drawn up an NFL readiness plan including a shoplifting arrest in July, a $200,000 party on a boat the night before his first regular season game, a twitter war with a future Hall-of-Famer, and a no-holds-barred cage match with Richard Sherman next February.

  31. “This article is about Travon Austin, but im going to post about Cordarrelle Patterson because I just read what Todd McShay thinks about him and I feel the need to regurgitate his opinion and pass it off as my own like I have a clue what Im talking about. I also want to be the first to inform you I have the inside track on this guy, hes going to be great”

    -All of you

  32. Tavon might not be the BEST player in the draft but he is the best offensive/special teams player.. couldn’t tackle this dude in a phone booth… mix of percy harvin and desean jackson

  33. Confidence is good in the NFL………Austin apparently has confidence………good for him.

  34. dwatkins69 says: Feb 22, 2013 1:33 PM

    “I dont think he is the best reciever on his team”

    So then who is?

  35. This guy actually is pretty amazing to watch. He’s a receiver/kick returner, but he was awesome as a RB too.

    If you have never seen him play, you have no idea, but honestly, he’s a star in the making. Great hands, wicked fast, good vertical leap, amazing lateral movement and a real clutch player.

    He will be a steal in this draft.

  36. Heck, I’d take a mix between Wes Welker and Percy Harvin. Run routes like Welker, with his hands, toughness and determination and Harvin’s speed, run after the catch and confidence. That would be one hell of a player! If he does 80% of what he did in college, he’ll be a star.

  37. People that dont know this kid say he wont be good in the nfl or wvu products havent been good in the nfl are people who dont watch college football if you watched this kid you could see he has amazing talent and he is a late first early second round as of right now.

  38. He is probably right.

    Been following him since his Junior year at Dunbar HS. I’ve never seen him not be the best player on the field. Even as a freshman a WVU his talent jumped out. His game has changed a lot since HS and he still never lost his playmaking ability.

    He was tough enough to play RB in college. He be fine as a slot in the NFL, plus he’s just football smart. He’ll be a stud day 1.

  39. jskins83 says:Feb 22, 2013 1:30 PM

    most of u people are idiots he is probably the best all around player he does it all and i hate wv besides he was asked what should be say no im the tenth best player most of u are just haters and need to get a life

    Most of us might be idiots but at least we can put together a basic sentence and understand the concept of punctuation

  40. You know, Titus Young said he was better than Calvin Johnson…..Doesn’t make it true.

    One thing I absolutely hate about this comment is that he compares himself to already ESTABLISHED NFL receivers. He could potentially be just that, but aren’t players supposed to create their own legacy? I always thought you should let your play do the talking, and he hasn’t had a chance to prove himself in the NFL, but NOBODY has him ranked as the #1 receiver in the class, let alone the # 1 player in the draft.

    I know….what was he supposed to say, he’s not the best player available? He could have sounded humble and said this is a great draft class, and i’m going to show everyone that i’m the best player here, rather than proclaiming HIMSELF the best player.

  41. Oh, here we go again.

    Listen, Tavon. You need to stay up-to-date on football news, bro. A guy by the name of Titus Young has all but ruined his NFL career because of an attitude like that. You think you’re the best prospect in the draft? You might want to shut up and prove it. If you’re really that good, you don’t need to proclaim it to anyone.

  42. Trash Tavon all you want. I watched him play for the last two years. He is a game changer. If a creative Offensive Coordinator get him the ball in space, he will take it to the house. If you want versatility, watch his game against Oklahoma. Then comment. The only question is if his size can translate to the NFL. But 4.2 speed will. Play to his strength and you have a game changer!

  43. It os all subjective anyway. Teams with different preferences will have different views of who the best is so cut the kid a break. On the flip side though you gotta wonder if he will pull a Wallace after 3 years and aim for Pluto hoping that his contract still at least lands on the moon. Kid is explosive for sure and with the right team will be insanely lethal. Just gotta make sure confidence doesn’t sour to arrogance

  44. With an attitude like that I wouldn’t touch him. Just another spoiled jock who doesn’t know what to say or how to shut his mouth…

  45. Everyone who is backing up Austin because you say you’ve watched him play all throughout college: Congratulations. But you know what? I don’t hear anyone else labeling him as the best prospect in the draft except for himself. That’s a problem for him, isn’t it?

  46. After what Cam Newton – RG 3 – Andrew Luck did their rookie seasons – I wouldn’t be surprised if this kid set some stupid Receiver Record in his first game – just to spite the critics.

  47. For those asking, Stedman Bailey is the other WVU wr…he and Austin are beasts and it’s a wonder how that team didn’t show better this year. Austin has the speed but bailey is a truer wr IMO. That being said, I’d take Austin…speed kills

  48. kev86 says:
    “…moving him up a couple spots on my personal board.”

    I’m sure that means a lot to him…

  49. Slim Charles says: Feb 22, 2013 3:56 PM

    “Anyone who complains about the self confidence of this guy is a racist.”

    No, they’re not…Sad that you felt the need to inject race into this discussion.

  50. ghouchens says: Feb 22, 2013 9:48 PM

    “If this clown starts saying he is better than Calvin Johnson, better start worrying.”

    Then again, if he lives up to his own assessment, maybe Calvin better start worrying.

    Just sayin’.

  51. Calm down everyone, the end of that headline just got cut off. It should read: “Tavon Austin: I’m the best player in the draft…in my mind.

  52. Potential Good: Confident.. On the Radar.. Made Headline… Kudos for Mission Accomplished.

    Potential Bad: Red Flag. On the radar.. Terrell Owens/Richard Sherman – esque run-O-mouth egoitis narcissism.

    Only Time Will Tell.

  53. Austin shut up a lot of the haters here with a 4.34 second 40 yard dash and 4.01 second shuffle to go with a 120 inch broad jump and 32 inch vertical. One of the best WR combines with some of the best college production= solid first round pick.

  54. I really hope a lot of GM’s agree with the people hating on Austin, because I will be ecstatic if my Niners end up drafting this kid. What he lacks in size, he more than makes up for in ability. He plays receiver likes Wes Welker and runs the ball like LaMichael James.

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