The New England Patriots came up short against the Buffalo Bills in Week 17, but it still was a day to remember for rookie cornerback Alex Austin.
The Bills selected Austin in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft. The Oregon State product never played a regular-season snap for Buffalo, however, as he was waived on Aug. 29.
The Patriots signed Austin to their active roster on Nov. 2. He debuted for New England in the team's Week 15 matchup vs. the Kansas City Chiefs and played in the Patriots' Week 16 win over the Denver Broncos. Sunday's game in Buffalo, however, was his best performance yet.
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In the second quarter, Austin made an outstanding play to pick off Bills quarterback Josh Allen for his first career interception.
Later, Austin made another impressive play, blowing up a screen pass with good post-snap recognition. It was a solid all-around performance by the 22-year-old against his former team.
Austin earned a "Stock Up" label on Phil Perry's "Patriots Stock Watch" report for Week 17. See below for the full Stock Watch and check out the video above for Perry's full breakdown.
Stock Up
- Alex Austin, CB
- Keion White, DE
- Jalen Reagor (the kick returner)
Stock Down
- Jalen Reagor (the wide receiver)
- Bailey Zappe, QB
- Pharaoh Brown, TE
