Houston Texans: Athleticism reigns supreme in round three
By T.A. Mock
80th: Justin Reid, Safety Stanford
Justin Reid has athleticism to spare. That is the first thing to jump out when you watch his tape. PFF graded Reid very low at a 61.6 in 2017. A steep drop from his 2016 grade which sat at 83.6 overall.
Other draft sites had Reid graded higher, possibly as high as the late first round. Reid is the younger brother of former 49ers safety and current free agent, Eric Reid.
In spite of PFF’s grade, many regard this pick as a STEAL.
Justin Reid falling is a head scratcher. Somebody is gonna get a ridiculous steal.
— Jon Ledyard (@LedyardNFLDraft) April 28, 2018
Texans got a first round player with their first pick in the draft in the third round. He's terrific. Fills a huge need too
— Jon Ledyard (@LedyardNFLDraft) April 28, 2018
Reid is fast, fluid, and versatile. He can line up all over the field. He can own either safety spot, though he projects better at strong safety. His aggression in the tackling game allows him to jump up and be an eighth man in the box.
Reid covered every offensive position last year from slot receivers to tight ends. His game against quicker players needs work, but this could potentially be fixed with coaching.
The biggest knock against Reid may turn out to be he is a jack-of-all-trades but a master-of-none. If that’s his biggest fall, this pick definitely goes down as a steal in my book. Look for Reid to get playing time immediately. He may even have a shot at taking time away from Andre Hal down the round.