New York Jets young cornerback Bless Austin put forth a nice rookie campaign in 2019. Today, Michael Nania breaks it down.
Career recap: The New York Jets took Bless Austin with the 196th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2019 Draft, while Mike Maccagnan was still at the helm.
Austin, a native of Queens, was putting together a promising reel of tape at Rutgers before injuries derailed his career. His 2017 junior season was cut short after four games due to an ACL injury. Another knee injury occurring in the 2018 season opener limited his senior year to one game.
Austin came into the draft as a lean, long corner who had shown legitimately exciting cover potential with the Scarlet Knights, but his medical red flags made him an extreme risk. Thus, he fell to the Jets as the ultimate dice-roll in Round 6.
2019 expectations: While the Jets were dealing with a crisis at the cornerback position throughout the 2019 offseason, opening the competition up to anybody with a pulse, Austin was unable to make a claim for a roster spot as he was still recovering from his previous injury.