10 years later: What happened to 8th-overall NFL draft pick Tavon Austin?

Wide receiver Tavon Austin was among the most exciting NFL prospects in the 2013 draft class. The wideout resembled an earlier version of superstar Tyreek Hill with his exciting play and electric runs.

Austin built himself a stellar resume in college, running wild in West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen's offense. Being one of the most explosive players in the nation, the prospect thrived as a running back and wide receiver.

Tavon Austin was a thrill to watch in open-field play given his quick feet and brilliant vision. In his senior season with the Mountaineers, Austin famously carried West Virginia on his shoulders in a 50-49 loss to Oklahoma.

He ran rampant on coach Bob Stoops' defense, recording 344 rushing yards on 21 carries (2 TDs), 82 receiving yards on four catches, and 146 return yards on eight attempts.

Tavon Austin's unreal NFL draft stock

Austin was an NFL-bound star. Image: cfbhistory on Instagram

Tavon Austin's otherworldly showing against the Sooners certainly went a long way in stocking him up ahead of the 2013 NFL Draft. His agility and vision made him a dual-threat who could be deployed both in the backfield and in the slot.

St. Louis Rams head coach Jeff Fisher saw the most potential in him. Subsequently, in a draft class where Austin was paired with Pro Bowlers DeAndre Hopkins, Le'Veon Bell and Travis Kelce, the West Virginia wideout was drafted ahead of all three, eighth overall.

Coach Fisher drafted the Mountaineer speedster in search of explosiveness on offense. At that point, the Rams hadn't been able to make the playoffs in almost 10 years.

Jeff Fisher, heading into his second year with the team, didn't have a terrible first season (7-8-1) but needed to start lifting up what was a losing team. That, however, proved fruitless.

Fisher tried replacing the loss of running back Steven Jackson with Zac Stacy, Benny Cunningham and Tavon Austin. The latter, along with fellow ex-Mountaineer Stedman Bailey, also had to help fill the void left by top receivers Danny Amendola and Brandon Gibson.

Dive into the excitement of the NFL Draft 2024 with our NFL Draft Simulator. Craft your own mock draft, make strategic picks, and experience the thrill of being in control. Shape the future of your favorite team with our immersive NFL mock draft experience.

Tavon Austin tries to make his way in a poor Rams offense

Austin started strong in the NFL. Image: Tavon Austin on Instagram

While not on the level expected of a first-round NFL Draft pick, Tavon Austin held his own in his rookie campaign of 2013. He put up 418 receiving yards on 40 catches (4 TDs) and 151 rushing yards on nine carriers (1 TD). He even bagged a 98-yard punt-return touchdown.

However, due to starting quarterback Sam Bradford's injury, backup Kellen Clemens played nine games as St. Louis went 7-9 that season (4th in the NFC West).

The following 2014 campaign, Austin was still playing with a hand tied behind his back. With Sam Bradford's 2013 injury keeping him out for all of the 2014 season, the starting job was passed between Austin Davis and Shaun Hill.

While running back third-round draft pick Tre Mason joined the fold, Jeff Fisher's outfit was still lacking on offense.

Their lack of firepower showed as they finished 6-10; again at the bottom of the NFC West. Tavon Austin also was neither among the team's top three rushers nor receivers. This only spelled the beginning of the end for Austin.

Dive into Sportskeeda's free 2024 NFL Mock Draft Simulator with trades across up to 7 rounds including user-to-sim, sim-to-user, and sim-to-sim trades. Powered by NFL Draft Expert Tony Pauline

The decline of explosive wideout Tavon Austin

Austin had a steep decline in the NFL. Image: Tavon Austin on Instagram

In addition to Rob Boras taking over as offensive coordinator for the 2015 season, Jeff Fisher finally brought about significant change the team had been needing.

He capitalized on what he had left in injury-prone Sam Bradford. He sent him to the Philadelphia Eagles in a blockbuster trade for the man running Chip Kelly's high-speed offense, quarterback Nick Foles.

College superstar running back Todd Gurley was also drafted 10th overall in an attempt to stabilize the offense. Fisher's desperate moves to secure his job indeed saw some degree of change for the better.

The Rams improved back to 7-9 (3rd in the NFC West) and the 2015 season turned out to be one of Tavon Austin's best. He made for an effective one-two punch with rookie Todd Gurley. Among his improved stats, he recorded 907 yards from scrimmage.

However, his improved performance meant little as St. Louis still missed out on the playoffs for the 16th straight season. The Rams offense was throwing vanilla punches and Jeff Fisher was officially in the hot seat heading into the 2016 NFL season.

The following campaign would, in fact, prove to be Fisher's last as an NFL head coach. With the Rams having relocated to Los Angeles, the coach's 4-12 record in Week 14 was the last straw. He was fired that week and replaced by special teams coordinator John Fassel. Additionally, Tavon Austin was bound for a similar fate.

Austin's 907 scrimmage yards from the 2015 season turned out to be his career best, even all these years later. After one pedestrian year under coach Sean McVay's reign, the wideout was cut after the 2017 campaign.

After falling out of favor with Sean McVay, who's won a Super Bowl since, Tavon Austin arguably lost his best chance at playing in a high-performing NFL offense. He has since bounced around the league, not doing much more than add depth to teams like the Cowboys, 49ers, Packers, Jaguars and Bills.

As of writing, Tavon Austin is a free agent, with his last position on an NFL team having been that of a practice squad member on the 2022 Bills.

Austin's story sadly fits in with countless other college football stars who were drafted in the first round only to fall far on the NFL stage.