Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
For the past few weeks the 2013 NFL Draft has been highly anticipated. There are mock drafts everywhere you look, rumors constantly swirl and fans are eagerly awaiting their early Christmas present, April 25 when the NFL Draft officially kicks off.
While there are a few hundred players to evaluate in the draft process and to predict where they will get drafted, perhaps no player holds the key to the 2013 NFL Draft like Tavon Austin. The extremely talented wide receiver is well regarded by most teams who covet his quickness and open field running ability. And depending on which day it is, you’ll find a new team rumored to be interested in Austin, who could be drafted as high as pick 12 to the Miami Dolphins.
Among the other teams rumored to have high interest in Austin are the St. Louis Rams, Minnesota Vikings, Houston Texans, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers and even the New York Jets have been mentioned as a possible landing spot. For all these teams who may covet Austin there is only one team that can draft him and that’s why he may be the key to the entire draft.
Not only has Austin been the most difficult name to place on a team, but he’s also the player that every team rumored to be interested in trading up, is trading up for. The Vikings want to trade up to get Austin to replace Percy Harvin, the Pats need a game breaking wide receiver, ditto for the Rams and 49ers, the Texans need a compliment to Andre Johnson and Jets need more weapons on offense. Any of these teams drafting Tavon Austin would make sense but none of them, except the Dolphins, are high enough in the draft to pick him without trading up.
If Austin makes it past pick 12, let the trade watch officially begin and Austin is the player teams are most likely to covet and every team between 13-21 knows it. Then, with each team who doesn’t trade or passes on Austin, the anticipation will go higher and higher. After Austin gets selected we may see teams trying to trade back because of the depth in the draft but Austin appears to hold the keys to the entire thing.
Tavon Austin, a 5-9 speedster with athleticism and explosiveness, is the key to the 2013 NFL Draft and we’ll see just how badly teams want him on April 25.
Ben is a Cowboys writer for www.Rantsports.com and you can chat with or follow him on twitter @BenGrimaldi
