Prep’s Reid highlights Day 3 for Nittany Lions
Cornerback John Reid and two other Penn State players were taken Saturday on the third day of the NFL draft.
Reid, a three-year starter from St. Joseph’s Prep, went to the Houston Texans in the fourth round with the 144th overall selection.
Linebacker Cam Brown went to the New York Giants with the 183rd selection in the sixth round, 10 picks before the Indianapolis Colts took defensive tackle Robert Windsor later in the sixth round.
The 5-10, 181-pound Reid received All-Big Ten honorable mention three times. The Texans, coached by former Penn State coach Bill O’Brien, took him with the 35th pick of the fourth round.
“Reid is a guy who is often just forgot about,” ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit said several days ago. “In that fourth, fifth or sixth round, somebody’s going to get a really talented, physical, competitive dude.”
Reid made 37 tackles last season as a fifth-year senior, broke up a teamhigh eight passes and intercepted two, returning one for a touchdown. He was a starter as a sophomore in 2016 when the Lions won the Big Ten title before he suffered a torn ACL the following spring and missed the 2017 season.
He didn’t regain his form until late in the 2018 season and played very well last season. According to Pro Football Focus, Reid forced five incompletions and allowed just six completions on 97 snaps in man-to-man coverage in 2019.
The 6-5, 233-pound Brown was a two-year starter for the Lions and played in 50-of-53 games in his career.
He was named to the All-Big Ten third team by the coaches last season after he had 72 tackles (third on the team), 5½ tackles for loss, four quarterback hurries, four pass break-ups, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
“I thought he might run a little bit better than he did (4.72 at the combine),” NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said. “He’s a unique player because he’s so tall and so skinny, but he’s got a great trait, the ability to cover tight ends. He a mid- to lateround guy who’s going to be a good special teams player.”
The 6-4, 285-pound Windsor, a two-year starter, was named to the All-Big Ten third team by the coaches last season. He had 40 tackles, five for loss, three sacks and a team-high eight quarterback hurries.
Reid, Brown and Windsor gave Penn State five selections in the draft, after defensive end Yetur GrossMatos (Carolina) and wide receiver KJ Hamler (Denver) were picked in the second round Friday.