Austin Stogner 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Background: 

• Invited to The Opening

• Began career at Oklahoma before transferring to South Carolina ahead of the 2021 season
• Father played wide receiver at Baylor. 

System: 

• Scheme tendencies: Spread
• 2022 projected role: Starting TE

Pros: Austin Stogner offers a big-bodied target that showcases the ability to find soft spots in zones and make himself available for the quarterback. He processes coverage quickly and makes sound adjustments on the fly. While Stogner has some issues with drops, he also flashes the ability to extend his catch radius and make plays on the football through contact. Stogner showcases the ability to threaten the seam with his blend of size and ball skills. Stogner is a willing and competitive blocker that is experienced both in-line and detached from the formation. As a receiver, Stogner has functioned from a variety of alignments with a notable chunk of his time at Oklahoma coming as a big slot. 

Cons: Stogner isn’t overly explosive and lacks separation quickness as a route-runner. My exposures didn’t reveal any consistency creating separation from man coverage and his success came as a zone buster. He is high-hipped, which creates challenges getting in and out of breaks and he’s a modest accelerator. While he is a willing and competitive blocker, he must get stronger, play with better bend, and develop more consistency with his hand placement to have a chance to exchange power in the trenches in the NFL—too often, opponents got under his pads and pinned him back in gaps he was supposed to widen. Stogner is not a consistent hands-catcher and there are too many instances of him trapping the football against his frame, which plays a part in why drops have been problematic. He sustained a knee injury in 2020 that developed an infection. As a result, Stogner was hospitalized for 12 days and lost 35 pounds.

Austin Stogner NFL Draft Scouting Report by Joe Marino