John

Reid

Reid showed out at the combine, posting solid marks in the 40-yard dash (4.49 seconds), bench press (20 reps), vertical jump (36.5 inches), broad jump (129 inches), 3-cone drill (6.95 seconds) and 20-yard shuttle (3.97 seconds) alike. He was used often in the slot at Penn State, regularly being asked to play press man-to-man coverage. There are questions regarding how he’ll size up as a run defender at just 5-foot-10 and 187-pounds, but he seems to be competitive enough to fight for a starting job down the line. That opportunity could be afforded sooner rather than later on a Texans defense that allowed a league-worst 6.1 yards per play in 2019.

Reid (5'10/187) put up some solid numbers at the NFL Scouting Combine, and his competitiveness and football IQ have been cited as positives. But the physical limitations could be an issue at the next level, especially if he’s asked to cover taller/faster receivers on a consistent basis. “Reid’s body control and balance allow him to play a stickier brand of coverage underneath, but that coverage will fade as routes progress,” Zierlein wrote. Reid has been projected by draft analysts to be either a Day 3 selection or an undrafted free agent.

Reid (5'10/187) just beat that 4.5 second barrier. The former Nittany Lion corner was able to post 20 bench press reps, as well, showing that he has some wheels and some play strength. Reid is viewed as a late-round prospect or UDFA, but he likely helped his stock at least a smidgen with his performance in Indianapolis.

Reid (5'10/181) started three of the 13 games in which he appeared this season, accounting for 37 total tackles (2.5 for loss), one sack, two interceptions and eight pass breakups. It’s worth noting that the redshirt senior corner’s two interceptions occurred in Penn State’s first two games of the season, with one being a 36-yarder that Reid returned for a touchdown in a win over Buffalo. Reid was given a UDFA grade by Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline before the season began.

Reid (5'10/181) was injured in a win over Michigan State on Oct. 26 and was off resting up on bye this past weekend. Barring a setback, the redshirt senior should be good to go for Saturday’s battle of unbeaten Big Ten squads. This season, Reid has logged 26 tackles (2.5 for loss), a sack, two interceptions and five passes defensed across eight games played.

Reid (5'10/181) was injured early in the second quarter of Saturday’s game, and he was unable to return to action. But the redshirt senior isn’t expected to miss a significant amount of time, with the Nittany Lions not scheduled to play again until a November 9 showdown with Minnesota. Reid has accounted for 26 total tackles (15 solo), one sack, two interceptions (one for a touchdown) and five passes defensed this season.

Reid (5'10/181) could not find himself a turnover in Saturday’s match against Michigan, but he was all over the field. Reid tied a season-high with four solo tackles and tacked on a pass defended. Given Reid’s injury history throughout his career, it was important that he showed out this season and he has done just that. A strong performance against a program like Michigan is exactly what he needed to earn himself NFL attention again. Penn State will take on Michigan State this weekend.

Reid showed big-time promise in his first two years at Penn State, but he’s battled injuries since; including a torn ACL that caused him to miss all of 2017, and he didn’t look like the same play in 2018. “Returning to his pre-injury form is imperative for the team, because he is able to fill a variety of roles in coordinator Brent Pry’s base defense and many sub-packages,” writes Brennan. “It is important for Reid, too, if he hopes to get back on track in his quest to play in the NFL.” Tough to argue with that.

Reid missed the entire 2017 season due to a torn ACL, and did not make his 2018 debut until late September as a result of the rehabilitation process. Given that medical history it’s understandable that there would be some concern regarding the redshirt junior’s status moving forward. No determination has been made regarding Reid’s status for the remainder of Saturday’s game.

Reid missed last week after playing in the season opener while he deals with an ACL injury that kept him out all of the 2017 season. Don’t be surprised if the corner is on a snap count, but he’s a big return for the Nittany Lion secondary.