Penn State CB John Reid drafted by Houston: Here’s what the Texans are getting
John Reid will play for a former Penn State head coach to start his NFL career.
The versatile cornerback was selected No. 141 overall by the Houston Texans, who are coached by Bill O’Brien, in the fourth round Saturday afternoon. He was the third Nittany Lion to come off the board, after defensive end Yetur-Gross Matos and wide receiver K.J. Hamler, who both went in the second round of the draft.
Reid was projected as a day three pick heading into the draft, which is ultimately where he fell.
He was used in several roles in his time at Penn State, spending time as a returner on special teams, while starring as a cornerback on the inside and outside of the defense. Reid is likely to play inside as a slot corner in the NFL, but former NFL scout and current Ourlads general manager Dan Shonka thinks he’s big enough to play outside at times..
“He could probably play outside once in a while because he’s not real small,” Shonka told the Centre Daily Times. “He’s good in press coverage. He’s a tough kid, working through blocks. He’s a good zone defender. He does a good job sticking with receivers.”
Shonka projected Reid as a fifth or sixth round pick in the draft, in part because he doesn’t see the long speed necessary to keep up with faster receivers.
“He might not have that closing gear on a speed guy deep,” Shonka said. “What bothers me a little bit, he grabs the receiver instead of moving his feet. He’ll grab them instead of just staying in front of them.”
Reid got to Penn State as the No. 124 player in the 2015 recruiting class and quickly made an impact. He started two games as a true freshman and played in 13 games and was named to ESPN.com’s Big Ten All-Freshman team.
He followed that up by starting all 14 games in 2016 as Penn State won the Big Ten Championship and made a trip to the Rose Bowl.
A knee injury during spring practice in 2017 forced him to miss that season and redshirt. He returned in 2018 and started 24 games over the final two years of his Penn State career. The former Nittany Lion amassed seven interceptions in those four seasons along with 125 total tackles.
Shonka expects Reid to play an important role on defense and sees a player who can have a long future in the league.
“I think he’ll eventually be a starter in the slot,” Shonka said. “He’s really a versatile guy. He’s got the skills to be on the outside but I think he’ll start in the slot. That slot corner is as valuable as the outside guys anymore.”
This story was originally published April 25, 2020 at 1:59 PM.
