Stanford Cardinal star Justin Reid is the younger brother of NFL strong safety Eric Reid. He’s more of a free safety himself, but Reid has the potential to be a high-quality player in his own right as a well-rounded contributor without an identifiable weakness.
For the Cleveland Browns, Reid could easily justify the No. 33 or No. 35 overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft—and he may even be worth trading up or down for in Round 1.
Reid has 4.40 speed and the combination of intelligence and vision that every team will covet. He knows where to be and when to be there, and has the athleticism to recover if his aggressive style of play gets him into trouble.
When it becomes a matter of defending the run, Reid has the strength and physicality to take a back on in a one-on-one setting and win the head-to-head.
Reid can line up against slot receivers and bring help over the top when a quarterback tries to go deep. He can elude blockers in run defense and has the fundamental tackling ability that will immediately improve the quality of a team.
With Reid at free safety and Jabrill Peppers at strong safety, teams will have to respect Cleveland as a team with elite defensive potential.