How Penn State football’s Day 3 picks will fit with the Houston Texans, Minnesota Vikings
Penn State had two more players picked on the third and final day of the 20225 NFL Draft with safety Jaylen Reed going to the Houston Texans in the sixth round at pick 187 and linebacker Kobe King heading to the Minnesota Vikings in the sixth round at pick 201.
They join Abdul Carter, Tyler Warren and K.J. Winston as Nittany Lions to be drafted in the three-day event.
Here’s how the two latest PSU draftees will fit with their new teams.
Jaylen Reed to the Houston Texans
Reed fell further in the draft than anticipated and could see his role be more diminished than anticipated heading into the NFL season. Had he gone in the third or fourth round, Reed would’ve likely been competing for a starting job based on the draft capital invested in him. But going in the sixth points to less of a defensive role and more of a special teams role.
The former Penn State safety is likely going to find a lot of success on that front as a high-motor player who gets downhill quickly and isn’t afraid to make tackles. His physicality and good straight line speed should make him an asset an get him a spot on Houston’s roster. While that might not seem like much, sixth- and seventh-round picks are not guaranteed to make rosters and Reed will have to prove himself in camp.
Defensively, he’s likely going to be used as a safety that plays more in the box than deep down the field. His versatility should help him find a spot on the field eventually, but it will be interesting to see where Houston starts him out. Jalen Pitre just received an extension from the Texans as their nickel corner, which means Reed is far more likely to fight for playing time at one of the safety spots.
Either way, Reed is a good enough player to start eventually and should make Houston’s roster. He’s a good bet to outperform his draft position and make the sixth-round pick the Texans spent on him a worthy investment.
Kobe King to the Minnesota Vikings
King landed in an interesting spot to begin his career. Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores is one of the most creative blitzers in the NFL — and one of the most frequent. He’s often trying to heat opposing quarterbacks up with five or more players and uses multiple inside linebackers to do so.
That should help King and could even allow him to have a higher ceiling than he would have in most other schemes. The former Penn State linebacker excels against the run, sifting through the trash to make plays as a tackler, and is good at getting downhill as a blitzer. Those are likely to be his two primary responsibilities if he sees the field for the Vikings.
He would, inevitably, be asked to drop into coverage as well — an area where he’s struggled at times. King isn’t at his best in space and is more of a point-and-shoot linebacker than one who can drop into coverage. It is important to note, however, that King’s first job, like Reed’s, is to make the team. He will likely be asked to contribute on special teams where his tackling ability should play well. And he runs well enough in a straight line that he could help as a gunner if necessary.
King is not as versatile as Reed, but he has a clearer path to defensive playing time largely because of the team that chose him and the way the Vikings play defense under Flores.
