Nov. 25, 2012; Glendale, AZ, USA: A St. Louis Rams helmet sits on the field against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

With the #8 pick in the NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills have traded their pick to the St. Louis Rams who selected Tavon Austin out of West Virginia.

Great quick receiver and great punt returner out of West Virginia, can stretch the field and make this passing offense better. They brought in Jake Long, offensive tackle from the Miami Dolphins to help protect Sam Bradford, so giving him the time he needs, this team should be able to put up decent numbers through the air.

They also lost Danny Amendola to the New England Patriots.

Good trade by the St. Louis Rams.

New York Jets are now on the clock.

Dec 29, 2012; Bronx, NY, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Tavon Austin (1) runs with the ball during the second quarter against the Syracuse Orange at the 2012 New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Tavon Austin has been getting a lot of attention in this draft. He is quick with playmaking ability and could be a dynamic offensive weapon. Obviously the New York Jets are craving offense ahead of the 2013 season and he seems to be a natural fit.

And the Jets like Austin and have told him that they have a plan for him.

“He made a little joke, ‘We might throw you on the defensive side, a couple plays,’ but it was everything good,” Austin said, via Jenny Vrentas of the Newark Star-Ledger. “He said he had a plan for me. I talked to the offensive coordinator (Marty Mornhinweg), and they said they like players like me who can bring big-play ability there.”

And it isn’t strictly his physical ability on the field that impressed the Jets.

“I had a visit with them, so I was in their facility. They put me on the board and everything, (to) see how smart I was. For the most part everything went well,” Austin said. “I met everybody, and they pretty much said they like me a lot, and hopefully we can make it happen.”

But as the most dynamic skill player in the draft they might have competition for him.

Oct 6, 2012; Austin, TX, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Tavon Austin (1) scores a touchdown during the first quarter against the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Guys who play on Saturdays hope to become stars on Sundays, starting Thursday night when college and pro football collide at the 2013 NFL draft.

OK, maybe “collide” isn’t the best choice of words given the leagues’ concussion issues. Speaking of concussions and bad word choices, I’m brain dead from looking at mock drafts and reading the latest rumors of teams supposedly hoping to trade up or down. I’m not bothering with a mock draft because this stuff is impossible to forecast and this year presents a deep and particularly unpredictable draft.

We’re obsessed with the NFL draft because we’re obsessed with the NFL. And the best and easiest way to win in the NFL is to be able to predict which players will be great, so now we’re obsessed with mock drafts (even if it’s pointless to attempt predicting this stuff). On Grantland, NFL guru Bill Barnwell’s pre-draft column basically said the whole thing’s a crap shoot and NFL teams may or may not know how to draft any better than you or I do, and the best thing I read about the draft all week was by Rolling Stone political writer Matt Taibbi.

The most exciting thing about the 2013 NFL draft, for me, is the fact that two West Virginia Mountaineers will likely be the keys to how the first round of the draft will play out. Geno Smith, the concensus top-ranked QB, has been speculated to go as high as somewhere in the top 5 or to perhaps slip and slide all the way down to a team with an established starter (like Aaron Rodgers fell to the Packers in 2005).

WR Tavon Austin is one of the most electrifying game-changers available and, despite all the offensive and defensive line talent at the top of this draft (and teams always looking for those big, safe first-round picks), every team should consider drafting Austin or trading up to get into position to do so. Why? THE GUY SCORES TOUCHDOWNS. Give him the ball, on a quick slant or bubble screen, on a reverse or even delayed-draw hand off, or on kick/punt returns, and he can take it to the house. Herm Edwards famously reminded us that “You play to win the game,” and many awful announcers have said the team that scores the most points will win. Tavon Austin will score points in bunches, and that’s the only thing I know I’m sure of heading into the 2013 NFL draft.

As for the things we don’t know… here are a few bold predictions sure to go wrong:

• The Cleveland Browns will pick QB Geno Smith with the sixth overall pick, and trade Brandon Weeden for a mid-round pick. Too soon to give up on Weeden? Maybe, but there’s a whole new regime in Cleveland, and they’ve already brought in veteran QB Jason Campbell who can either play well until Smith is ready and/or mentor Smith as a solid backup (and he’s a mature pro who will accept either role). And Weeden turns 30 in October.
• Eddie Lacy and Montee Ball might be the top two RB’s drafted, but UCLA’s Jonathan Franklin (the 8^th-ranked RB on NFL.com) will be a superstar and easily have the best pro career of any RB in this class.
• During ESPN’s draft telecast, Jon Gruden will say “I love this guy” 14,682 times. And the corpse of Chris Berman will undoubtedly attempt some form of “Star Lotulelei is sure to be a star in this league” joke.
• Whichever blue-chip offensive lineman falls to the Eagles at number 4 will end up the best of this class and they’ll land QB E.J. Manuel in the 2^nd or 3^rd round.
• Tavon Austin will not go to the Jets, Panthers, Saints,or Rams (picks 13-16) because the Dolphins will beat them to the punch by taking Austin at number 12.
• No matter if they pick for offense or defense, if they make a great pick or a questionable one, the Jets and Bills fans will be shown on TV booing. Actually, that’s the only sure thing at the NFL Draft.

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The Buccaneers biggest need is at cornerback, and they should also take a strong look at adding a pass rusher to replace Michael Bennett. However, some are also tabbing wide receiver as a potential pick for the Bucs in the first round, and Sports Illustrated’s Peter King has added some heat to the Austin rumors. In his Monday Morning Quarterback column, King wrote that the Buccaneers “love” Tavon Austin.

He delivered some very notable nuggets about the Revis talks, and this note on Austin was an interesting one from a draft take. The Bucs are expected to draft a CB like Xavier Rhodes if they don’t get their top CB via a trade, so wide receiver is something of an outside-the-box option. Austin is mocked into the top ten by a few analysts nowadays, and while that is not an opinion I share, it serves to show that teams high enough on Austin could feasibly take him anywhere. Are the Bucs one of those teams? To be honest with you, I don’t think they are willing to bypass those pressing needs on defense for Austin.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter for more NFL updates and analysis @SorianoJoe.

1.Tavon Austin, West Virginia

December 29, 2012; Bronx, NY, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Tavon Austin (1) is tackled by Syracuse Orange cornerback Wayne Morgan (2) during the third quarter of the New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

SENIOR:1287 yds, 12tds,

JUNIOR:1185yds, 8tds

SOPHOMORE: 787 yards, 8tds

FRESHMAN: 151 yards, 1 td

Best Potential Fit: St. Louis Rams(probably will need to trade up)

The most versatile and high potential receiver in the draft, Tavon Austin has it all.  He can come in and be a Wes Welker or Ty Hilton prototype slot receiver, a kick returner or become a Percy Harvin/Desean Jackson type outside guy who can run amazing reverses as well as burn defenders with his blazing speed.  At best you get a full package skill position player here, at worst you get a great Ted Ginn like kick returner/#2 WR.  The odds are in Austin’s favor if you ask me.

2. Keenan Allen, California

September 8, 2012; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen (21) scores a touchdown ahead of Southern Utah Thunderbirds defensive back Tyree Mills (6) during the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium. The California Golden Bears defeated the Southern Utah Thunderbirds 50-31. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

SENIOR: 737 yards, 6tds,

JUNIOR: 1343 yards, 6tds,

SOPHOMORE: 496 yards 5tds

Best Potential Fit: Minnesota Vikings(can potentially fall to them)

A great, productive and established receiver from Cal who broke Desean Jackson’s career reception record for the Golden Bears. Any team looking for a high ceiling and already skilled hands guy, Keenan Allen is the move.

3. Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee

Nov 10, 2012; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson (84) scores a touchdown against the Missouri Tigers during the first half at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

JUNIOR YEAR: 778 yards, 5tds

Best Potential Fit: San Diego Chargers (can potentially fall to them)

Has great athleticism and a prototypical build of an NFL receiver.  Hasn’t quite proved himself on tape with the level of success in his numbers seen from WRs like Deandre Hopkins, Tavon Austin, or Keenan Allen.  Probably is someone who can use another year of school but has the measurables to potentially become the best receiver of the class under the right coach.

4. DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson

January 4, 2012; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Clemson Tigers wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (6) scores a touchdown after eluding the tackle of West Virginia Mountaineers defensive back Ishmael Banks (34) late in the fourth quarter in the 2012 Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports

SENIOR YEAR: 1405 yards, 18tds

JUNIOR YEAR: 961 yards, 5tds

SOPHOMORE YEAR: 626 yards, 4tds

Best Potential Fit: Houston Texans (Can potentially fall to them)

Great production and stepped in to fill Sammy Watkins’ void when his team needed him to.  Was the only player ever in the ACC to record 50+ receptions his freshman and sophomore years.  Hopkins has potential to be a top #1 WR in the NFL who has the skills now to definitely come in as a possible #1 or a great #2 threat.  We saw during his career in Clemson that he’s a guy you can count on to step in if need be.

5.    Quinton Patton, La Tech

Oct 13, 2012; Shreveport, LA, USA; Louisiana Tech Bulldogs wide receiver Quinton Patton (4) runs with the ball as Texas A

SENIOR YEAR: 1392 yards, 13 td

JUNIOR YEAR: 1202 yards, 11 td

Best Potential Fit: Pittsburgh Steelers (Can trade back in the first or up in the 2nd)

May be the value of the draft because of going to a mid major school.  Quinton Patton was the weapon on his team that made them a cut above their competition.  He’s proven that he can step up to greater competition during his game against a tough SEC foe in Texas A&M where he caught 21 passes for 233 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Austin is certainly in high demand, and he is compared as a cross between Seattle Seahawks star wide receiver Percy Harvin and Kansas City Chiefs versatile weapon Dexter McCluster. His terrific forty time at the 2013 NFL Combine shows how fast and explosive Austin is, but there are still some questions about his long speed based on his tape against teams like the Texas Longhorns (thank Kenny Vaccaro for that) and the Kansas Jayhawks.

I don’t think teams are too concerned about that, because Austin is going to be used in the Harvin role all over the formation. You can line him up inside and outside and just use him on screens and short and intermediate routes where you can take advantage of his agility and ability to generate yards after the catch.

The Bengals could really use this guy, and he would be a terrific compliment for A.J. Green. He would relieve a lot of pressure off of Andy Dalton as well, and Dalton’s accuracy on those short and intermediate throws would also fit Austin.

The St. Louis Rams are an obvious fit for Tavon Austin, and I can definitely see them taking Austin off the board with their first first-round draft choice. After losing Danny Amendola in free agency (there were other teams beside the New England Patriots that were prepared to pay more), the Rams have a huge need at receiver (they also lost Brandon Gibson to the Miami Dolphins). Their big void is in the slot, and Sam Bradford is another QB who is better in the short and intermediate game. Bradford needs to have the kind of weapon like Austin to help him out.

I highly doubt the Browns end up taking Austin, because they have bigger fish to fry with the sixth pick in the draft. The Browns really need a wide receiver, but they won’t be getting Austin.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter for more NFL updates and analysis @SorianoJoe.

17. Pittsburgh Steelers – Johnathan Hankins, NT, Ohio State – The Steelers’ whole defense is getting old, they need to start going position by position. Not only is Hankins one of the best prospects on the board here, but he’s also a true nose tackle which is very rare and hard to find. If he pans out the way everyone thinks, he can be the perfect first block in the rebuilding of the Steelers.

18. Dallas Cowboys – Kenny Vaccarro, S, Texas – The Cowboys love making sexy picks. This year they can fill their biggest need doing it.  They take Kenny Vaccaro, one of the hottest, most talked about players in this year’s draft.  Kenny doesn’t travel far and keeps his in state Longhorn fanbase by being picked 18th overall by the Dallas Cowboys

19. New York Giants – Alec Ogletree, ILB, Georgia The Giants get the pick of the inside linebacker litter here at #19.  It’s a tough choice, between Alec Ogletree, the long time #1 ILB prospect in this year’s draft and Kansas State’s Arthur Brown.  Both had great seasons leading top 10 ranked defenses to be conference championship contenders.  Alec Ogletree carries a little more liability with minor injuries and off field issues but is clearly the most exciting ILB in the draft this year, putting up numbers that still outshine other players at his position despite playing 10 games.  Without his off field drama, I’d think Alec would be top 15 maybe even a top 10 pick.  The Giants have trust in their coaching staff to keep this kid on track and pick him up with the 19th overall pick.

20. Chicago Bears – Arthur Brown, ILB, Kansas State
Guess who else needs an inside linebacker and has a great prospect on the board?  That’s right.  The Bears.  Arthur Brown seems to be a great replacement for Urlacher.  Both were said to be undersized for their position (Arthur Brown’s biggest knock).  Chicago understands that size isn’t everything and that it’s possible to play bigger than you actually are.  What better place  for Arthur Brown to step in immediately in the shoes of a great player with similar criticisms and prove the critics wrong?

Dec 1, 2012; Manhattan, KS, USA; Kansas State Wildcats defensive linebacker Arthur Brown (4) and offensive linesman BJ Finney (66) hold the Big 12 Championship trophy during the presentation after the game against the Texas Longhorns at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Kansas State won 42-24. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Feb 24, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Tavon Austin runs the 40 yard dash during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Round 1 – Tavon Austin, WR, WVU – I would be surprised if Tavon Austin is not at the top of the Rams draft board.  He’s one of the most versatile receivers in the draft this year and can be used at both WR, slot receiver, the wildcat and in some situations even running back.  Imagine Dexter McClustor versatility with Percy Harvin speed and you have Tavon Austin.  Sam Bradford doesn’t just get a weapon but gets a nice new shiny swiss army knife in Austin because of the multiple ways he can be used.

Jan 26, 2013; Mobile, AL, USA; Senior Bowl north squad defensive back Jonathan Cyprien of Florida International (37) prior to kickoff of a game against the Senior Bowl south squad at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Round 1 – John Cyprien, FS, FIU – If the Rams just miss Kenny Vaccaro here, it’s no biggie because of John Cyprien, a small school safety with big time potential.  A starter even as a true freshman Cyprien earned all-conference selections each of his 3 years at Florida International.  After an impressive senior bowl showing, some scouts even have Cyprien rated above Kenny Vaccaro.  This will be quite a splash for the Rams, especially if he can make an immediate impact like his former teammate, TY Hilton.

Oct 6, 2012; Austin, TX, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Tavon Austin (1) is tackled by Texas Longhorns safety Kenny Vaccaro (4) during the game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. West Virginia beat Texas 48-45. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

While West Virginia University QB Geno Smith might take center stage as far as one of the keys to how the 2013 NFL Draft unfolds, his teammate Tavon Austin might just be the most electrifying player about to go pro. Projected as a late first- or early second-round pick, Austin also has a chance to land on a contending team instead of one in major rebuilding mode.

Football fans of WVU have endured a mixed bag of recent alumni when it comes to the NFL Draft and subsequent career success in the league. Last year saw a pleasant surprise when Bruce Irvin went 15th overall to the Seattle Seahawks. It was bittersweet, in that most of the media immediately panned it as a reach at that spot and a highly questionable pick. Irvin turned out to be a disruptive force as a pass rusher, part of a relentless defense that keyed Seattle’s great season and playoff run.

Before that, plenty of WVU talent has either had character baggage (Chris Henry and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones) or hasn’t been able to translate their little-guy speed and playmaking ability from the college highlights to longterm success in the pros (Noel Devine, Pat White, Steve Slaton, Amos Zereoue).

So now we have Baltimore native Tavon Austin, another slight-of-frame (5’9”, 175lb) runner-turned-receiver who’s a threat to score every time he touches the ball, whether on punt and kick returns, out of the backfield, or as a wide-receiver, his official position listing for the NFL draft.

Austin won the Paul Hornung award given to the most versatile college football player in 2012 after he ran for 643 yards and 3 TDs on 72 carries, caught 114 passes for 1,289 yards and 12 TDs, returned 32 kickoffs for 813 yards and a TD and returned 15 punts for 165 yards and another score. He’s one of those “Swiss-Army-Knife” players who can really do it all.

Despite the aforementioned history of Devine and Slaton and Zereoue, and the obvious here-we-go-again feeling that this latest flashy Mountaineer is more likely to flame out than blow up… there’s a buzz about Austin that signals otherwise. WVU Pros recently had a great round up of much of the scout talk and media hype surrounding Tavon Austin’s talent and potential.

NFL & Draft Lead Writer for Bleacher Report Matt Miller told me he thinks Austin could be “a big-time impact” player as an inside-slot receiver and return man, sees skill set/talent potential similar to Randall Cobb and Desean Jackson, and envisions him as a late-first-round possibility to San Francisco, with the best fits being Denver or New England.

In fact, penciling in Austin at #29 to the Patriots is becoming a popular sentiment, including the most recent Fansided mock draft.

Most people see his size as a match for the possibly departing Wes Welker and his big-play potential would certainly make Tom Brady and company even more dangerous. But I don’t think we should rule out the idea of him getting plenty of touches out of the backfield too. He was a RB in high school (you may have heard of his legendary high school highlight tape) and he carried the ball 21 times for 352 yards vs. Oklahoma in 2012 en route to an eye-popping 572 all-purpose yards (6 yards shy of the NCAA record set by Emmit White against the New Mexico State defense).

One of the main reason guys like Colin Kaepernick and Robert Griffin III took the league by storm (beyond their passing skills and grace under pressure) was the fact that if/when they did “make a play” it was often a back breaker that saw them taking it to the house. A rookie WR like Austin certainly wont have the ball in his hands as much as those QB’s, but he can still be a potential game changer along the lines of Cobb and Jackson as mentioned, or perhaps like a healthy Percy Harvin without all the baggage. While his size might scare away some teams, he never missed a game at West Virginia despite amassing enough touches and yards to fill highlight reel after highlight reel.

While he’s most-often rated as a late-first or early-second rounder, Austin might not be a foolish reach to be picked earlier. Maybe the Rams want to use that extra first-round pick they got from the Redskins (#22) to give Sam Bradford a much-needed weapon and get a game-changing return man to maximize the field position game of their defense. The Vikings could pick him at #23 to replace the unhappy Harvin.

Other teams picking late in the first round, like the Packers, Colts, and Falcons, have nice offenses and will likely draft defense. But the Texans playoff appearance reinforced that they are in need of an offensive threat to complement RB Arian Foster and WR Andre Johnson. And of course San Francisco and New England are intriguing landing spots where they will be looking to add play makers.

But there’s another team, sitting at #24 in the first round, that might also want a shiny new toy for their young quarterback and this should scare the hell out of the rest of the league: imagine Tavon Austin in Seattle’s backfield next to Marshawn Lynch as a possible option for QB Russell Wilson in the zone read game.

The Seahawks are one of the few teams without major glaring holes, they can afford to swing big and land this home-run hitter in the first round. They have WR’s Golden Tate, Sidney Rice, and Doug Baldin (a nice group, but not exactly murderers row), and return man and backup RB Leon Washington is heading into his 8th season. Despite all the deserved praise for Wilson, he’s still a young QB who would benefit greatly from the type of safe quick-slant passes that Austin always threatens to take the distance.

This draft is shaping up as defense heavy, with lots of depth of talent at defensive tackle and safety. But perhaps the biggest catch might come with an offensive weapon heading from West Virginia to the Northwest.