The Dolphins have officially signed cornerback Alex Austin. Like the rest of the crop of newcomers, Austin provides length and a penchant for the physical aspect of the game.
He played his college ball at Oregon State and entered the NFL in 2023 as a seventh-round draft pick by the Buffalo Bills, where he spent training before a stint with Houston and then finding a home with New England his rookie season. He played three years with the Patriots before heading to South Florida.
By the numbers
At just 24 years old, Austin has done a little bit of everything on the football field during his three-year career. He played in 12 games, making two starts, for last year's AFC champion Patriots, logging 144 defensive snaps and totaling 13 tackles, one pass defensed, and a tackle for loss. In his career, Austin has recorded 31 tackles, eight passes defensed and an interception.
Austin has started games in each of his first three years as a pro, doing so different head coaches and defensive coordinators. When Patriots starting cornerback Christian Gonzales missed the first two games of the 2025 season, it was Austin who stepped up.
When Gonzales returned, Austin became a key special teams contributor. He played 157 snaps across the Patriots special teams' units, including during the Patriots playoff run, finishing the 2025 season with five combined special teams tackles.
From the West Coast to the East Coast
Austin played the entirety of his four-year collegiate career at Oregon State. After a standout prep career at Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, California, Austin was a three-year starter in Corvallis where he tallied 141 tackles, one sack, four interceptions and three fumble recoveries for the Beavers.
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