Anthony Rivardo
The New York Giants brought in Calvin Austin III this offseason as a low-cost speedster with a chance to compete in a receiver room that still has plenty of room for improvement. But now Austin is already giving the coaching staff something to think about.
Calvin Austin III has been a standout for the Giants at OTAs
According to the practice report on Giants.com, Austin “stole the show” at OTA No. 2, with John Schmeelk pointing to several explosive plays: an over route from Jaxson Dart that would have gone for a big gain, a screen that could have gone for at least 30 yards, and a slant against a Dennard Wilson pressure look after beating press coverage.
Dan Salamone of Giants.com described Austin as the standout player of Giants OTAs so far following the first week of practice:
“Wide receiver Calvin Austin III continues to rack up the catches (and yards after) at OTAs. He has been a frequent target for Dart in the early going this spring. The veteran offseason addition has been making the most of his opportunities,” Salamone wrote.
Austin gives the offense a cheap speed element
Austin does not have to become a traditional high-volume receiver to make an impact. The Giants need cheap explosive plays, and Austin gives them a player who can create those plays on manufactured touches, crossers, screens, quick slants, and space-based concepts.
The Giants are building around size and power, but a heavy offense still needs players who can punish defenses horizontally. Austin can stress pursuit angles in a way that complements the bigger bodies around him.
Austin’s one-year deal comes in at $1.5 million with $3 million in potential incentives. That is a cheap contract that looks like an absolute bargain if Austin becomes a useful offensive spark.
Austin is still a young, developing player
Entering his fourth season at just 25 years old, Austin is still developing. He was a quality rotational piece for three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now, with the Giants, he is aiming to become more of a focal point.
PFF graded Austin at 54.8 overall in 2025, 76th among 81 qualified wide receivers, with a 55.7 receiving grade. He totaled 31 catches for 372 yards and three touchdowns last season. In 2024, he had a career year, totaling 36 receptions for 548 yards and four touchdowns, all career highs.
That is the resume of a player whose best path might be specific usage rather than a generic receiver role. Austin is not here to necessarily start opposite Malik Nabers or compete with Darnell Mooney for the WR2 job. He is here to give the Giants a speed package, a return option, and enough juice after the catch to force defenses to account for him.
That makes Austin valuable depth for an offense that has dealt with its fair share of injuries at the receiver position in recent years. Even if Austin winds up just being the team’s WR4, he serves as a major upgrade at WR4 compared to the thin receiving corps the Giants had last season.
If the staff builds a handful of touches for Austin every week, the Giants’ offense could get a cheap explosive layer it badly needs.
The Giants should lean into the flashes
The Giants cannot build their offense around OTA clips. They can, however, take useful information from them.
Austin getting loose on an over route, finding space on a screen, and winning quickly on a slant against pressure all point to the same idea: he can be useful when the ball comes out on time, and the design lets him run.
That is valuable for Dart and for an offense that may need to find explosive plays without asking Nabers to do everything right away. Austin can create yards after the catch, turning small gains into explosive plays.
Austin still has to carry the spring buzz into training camp in the summer, and he has plenty left to prove. But the path is there. For $1.5 million in base value, the Giants do not need Austin to be a star. They need him to be quality depth and a problem after the catch.
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