Houston Texans: Three reasons why Justin Reid should win the DROY

There are no weaknesses in his game

One of the best parts about Reid is he is extremely versatile. There are no apparent weaknesses in his game. Now, I’m not saying that there is nothing he needs to work on because he can definitely still improve but he is already decent or better at all aspects of being a safety.

Reid has spent the vast majority of his time manning the deep free safety position. What kind of defense he plays obviously depends on what the offense runs but he’s spent a good amount of time defending both the run and the pass.

Reid has also spent a considerable amount of time playing in the box as a safety as well. Most of the time there he assisted in run defense. Reid has also manned the slot a few times but not nearly as much as other places.

Reid has only been targeted 14 times in nine games while allowing only nine catches. In recent weeks, the targets he’s faced have gone down as he’s just absolutely blanketing the potential receivers near him, he’s forcing quarterbacks to go elsewhere. Reid has allowed a 76.8 QB rating which is along the same lines as guys like Jalen Ramsey, AJ Bouye, and Johnathan Joseph.

The young safety is rarely asked to get after the passer, but when he is, he has been effective. Reid has hurried opposing quarterbacks twice and hit the quarterback once. His quarterback hit came against the Titans, where the Texans pass rush was putrid. That’s pretty efficient in only eight pass rushing snaps all season.

In the run game, Reid isn’t afraid to mix it up unlike a lot of young defensive backs that have come out recently. He comes downhill with a full head of steam and takes great angles when chasing down running backs. Reid also has a nose for the football, collecting two interceptions and one fumble recovery.

Reid’s versatility makes him an excellent asset to the Houston Texans. The secondary will be better with him manning the backend. However, his versatility isn’t his best asset…