Eagles could take 'little' Tavon Austin with No. 4 draft pick

"Don't be shocked if the Eagles take Tavon Austin" - the "dimunitive" receiver/runner/returner out of West Virginia - with the fourth pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday night.

That's what a GM said, ESPN's Sal Paolantonio told Mike Missanelli late yesterday afternoon on 97.5 The Fanantic.

And Paolantonio endorsed the idea. "Tavon Austin, to me, is a top 5 player in this draft," he said. ". . . I think Austin could fit, and I think people want to see excitement on offense. They're tired of the same old dull offense that's been around here for 14 years."

"You know, he's a little guy, Sal!" said Missanelli, who confided he'd already ridiculed one caller for making the same suggestion.

Indeed, Austin measured 5-foot-8 at the NFL Combine - two inches shorter than Eagles wideout DeSean Jackson, who's often considered undersized.

Then again, Austin has been called the most dynamic player in the draft, with more than 1,900 yards and 19 touchdowns from scrimmage last year for West Virginia, and another two TDs returning kicks for nearly a thousand yards.

Mock drafts generally have Austin going in the middle of the first round, with some having him crack the Top 10.

But Austin's "home run" potential might make him a tempting addition to the "high-octane" offense of new Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, Paolontonio said.

The Eagles' first choice is a tackle, according to the unnamed GM, but if Luke Joeckel, Eric Fisher and even Lane Johnson are gone in the first three picks, that's where Austin could become the pick.

He could also be the pick, of course, if the Eagles opt to trade down and Austin is still available.

"Teams are really worried about Chip Kelly's offense, significantly," Paolantonio said. "... They put so much pressure on your defense, all it takes is one slip and they hit a home run. And that's why this GM told me that Tavon Austin in that environment is so dangerous, because he's a take-it-to-the-house guy. And in Chip Kelly's offense, you can't have too many of those guys on the field."

"I wonder how many people her would say, 'Awwww, that's a bad selection,' " Missanelli said, acknowledging the idea was "really intriguing."

"It's an outside shot, but don't be shocked," said Paolantonio. "Don't be shocked."

A recording of the conversation is available at www.975thefanatic.com.