AFAIK Austria had both Grenzers and Jaegers as early as 7-years' war, well before 1792. Jaegers were very small units, and few in number, but the Grenzers were a significant fraction of the standing army. I don't believe Grenzers were used against the French until 1805 at the earliest, more likely 1809. Clearly, they were considered second-rate troops and deployed as such, until the rough experiences with the skilled French skirmishers taught them a thing or two, then Grenzers were used more aggressively. (They never were Elite in any sense of the word, however.)
BTW: BTW, Napoleon didn't really improve the artillery itself, just deployed it in massed batteries. Gribeuval (sp?) (working as a Royalist before the revolution) significantly improved French artillery by adapting Austrian carriages and limbers and refining them slightly.