Texans add more depth in the secondary
It has been a long weekend and the opinions about the Texans draft are mixed to say the least, but they have a few more moves in them before the process is done. The Texans used their first sixth round selection on safety Jaylen Reed from Penn State. It also makes the third Jaylen(lin) that the Texans have added via the draft.
The four year Penn State veteran was named Second team All-Big Ten last year with 98 tackles (leading the team), 6.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and three interceptions. He was an honorable mention All Big Ten as a junior.
Vitals
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 211 pounds
40 Yard: 4.49
10 Yard Split: 1.51
Vertical: 33.5”
Bench press: 19 reps
Prospect Grade: 6.19 (good backup with potential to develop into a starter)
I personally was hoping for an interior offensive lineman at some point in this draft, but it appears that the Texans are going in a different direction. Depth in the secondary has been an issue in the past and they team lost Eric Murray to free agency. Jimmie Ward spends more time hurt than healthy, so if Reed can be a productive backup then it will be a good pick.
I should note that the draft profile on NFL.com projects Reed as a fourth rounder. So, getting him in the 6th round feels like good value. We are at the point of the draft where if you get any contributor you are playing with house money. Still, what do you think of the new safety? Can he overcome the odds?