The Added Extras
Any additional skill a defensive player can add will increase that player’s value, and while Reid wasn’t used extensively as a blitzer, he showed enough to be used occasionally in this way in the NFL.
These are not hugely nuanced blitz moves, but Tre Boston, Mike Mitchell and Captain Munnerlyn have all had success as slot blitzers in various editions of the Panthers defense in this way. While he struggled to do much once a blocker is put in front of him, his sheer speed around the edge can create issues and will add another tool to his arsenal.
Conclusion
There really is a lot to like about Reid: he is a fantastic athlete, showed an outstanding intellectual understanding of coverages at the Combine, and flashes high level technique throughout his college tape. With that being said, there are a worrying number of mental errors for a player who appears to have a good understanding of defensive football, and while this is a very difficult statement to make based purely on tape, his intensity seems to waver at times.
From a pure technique point of view, he needs to be more aware of receivers in his zone and less intent on trying to read the quarterback. He also has to trust his speed and allow less room underneath in coverage. In the run game, he needs to avoid the lapses in tackling technique he showed on occasion and, more importantly, has to play with more gap discipline and make use of his help rather than trying to make every tackle. These are all mental adjustments, there are very few questions if any about his physical capability from his tape.
From a more emotional standpoint, it would be nice to see him play with a little more intensity at times. When he is able to completely lock a receiver down and then, just a few plays later, allow that same receiver on the same route to gain four or five yards separation, it’s hard to put that down to anything other than intensity. This is something that is often waved at prospects as an impossible-to-disprove criticism, and I do not mean to attack Reid by saying this, but as with DJ Moore in an earlier profile, the issue is not about how good he is, it’s about how good is he going to be on any given play, and that is a hard thing to come to terms with in a prospect.
Best Case NFL Comparison: Earl Thomas
Worst Case NFL Comparison: Michael Griffin
Grade: B+
One Sentence To Tell Your Friends On Draft Night: “One play he looks like an All-Pro, then a few plays later in the same situation he looks like a mid round developmental guy. The talent, both mental and physical, is enormous, he just needs to put them together on a consistent basis.”
