Marvin Austin Scouting Report

Marvin Austin felt as if North Carolina could have played for a national championship had the Tarheels been able to keep all suspended 14 players on the field this last year. Never known as a team-first player, Austin at North Carolina’s Pro Day, “You can see the number of scouts out there,” Austin said. “We had the players to do it.” Unfortunately Austin was one of seven players suspended by the NCAA for the entire 2011 college football season. Coming into the 2010 season he was rated as the number one defensive tackle by multiple sources. Gil Brandt currently has him ranked 50th in his Hot 100 & sums up the 6-2, 309 lbs. defensive lineman by saying, “Marvin Austin has great skills but needs consistent effort. Character is a big question. Big reward if a team hits on him.”

Durability & Strength: Austin has prototypical NFL size & strength. He has the bulk to plug holes, but is still a lean & athletic player. At the NFL combine he bench pressed 225 lbs. a hefty 38 times. He started 25 of the 38 games he played before missing his entire senior season due to suspension. Austin has the strength and agility to slip blockers and recover. Makes many tackles after being initially popped by his adversary.

Agility: Ran a 4. 82 unofficially & officially a 4.90 forty yard dash at the combine. That was in the top twenty for defensive linemen & the top forty time for D-linemen over 300 lbs. Austin also ran a 1.63 10 yard split which is as quick as the average running back. When pursuing he has the speed to run down screens and counters, moves his feet well & can shuffle down the line or slide past guards with ease. Loose hips. impressive closing speed. Foot speed is dangerously deceptive for both an interior defensive linemen & his counterpart across the line of scrimmage to handle. Warren Sapp called him a fullback trapped in a 300 lb body.

Pass Rushing: Playing in a zero technique at times, Austin was not asked to purely rush the passer. What he does excel at is collapsing the pocket and creating pressure on the quarterback by driving interior linemen backward. Has exceptional closing speed. When he breaks free of his blocker and closes on the quarterback, he does so quickly. Austin is much more athletic than the majority of defensive tackles. Moves with ease and is athletic enough to play defensive end. When he does explode, Austin is unstoppable. He has the ability to push and collapse the pocket. Very difficult to block when he stays low, drops his hips, slants & moves.

Run defend/Recognition: Austin’s awareness is keen and recognizes the run quickly and effectively. Reads the line well and works down the line of scrimmage to the hole. Is very good at sniffing out a counter or trap and adjusting to the play. Is smart enough to pull down his blocker if he realizes he cannot get away from the block- freeing up tackling lanes for his teammates. As mentioned before Austin has the strength and agility to slip blockers and recover. Works off blocks well and can make tackles while engaged. Is a strong and able tackler. Is aggressive at the point of attack. Looks for the high-kill shot a little often, but is a sure tackler.

Versatility: Marvin Austin has experience lining up over the center, but has the athletic ability to play any position on the defensive line. While Austin looks most likely to line up as a three-technique tackle in the NFL, with his speed and agility he could easily slide outside to defensive end in a 3-4 scheme and become a dominating player.Austin is an aggressive player who can take over a game with his ability to collapse the pocket and pressure the quarterback. Seems to play the game with a lot of heart and a genuine love for the game. He has an uncanny knack of chasing down the ball carrier. 

Weakness: At times Austin tries to use a spin move, but loses depth when spinning and opens himself up to blockers. Would benefit from a shoulder dip or power move instead of adding finesse moves. He can be slow off the line of scrimmage at times. Would be quicker off the ball if he fired out of his stance low instead of standing up at the point of attack. Will stand up out of his stance too often. Must fire out lower, and with better pad height. He lacks consistency and at times can be pushed off the ball getting pushed upright and past the point of attack more than a team would like. At times he almost looks hesitant to engage the interior lineman. Obviously his decision making is of concern.

Projection: Round Two

NFL Comparison: Haloti Ngata