NFL Draft 2018: Justin Reid poised to join brother in the pros

The younger brother of veteran 49ers safety Eric Reid is poised to make his own splash in the pros. Where might Justin Reid land in the 2018 NFL Draft?

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As a four-star recruit coming out of Louisiana, Justin Reid chose a different path than his brother. By the time Justin was coming out of high school and deciding on a college, former LSU star Eric Reid was being drafted by the San Francisco 49ers.

Instead of staying near home like his brother, Justin went west to Pac-12 country to play for Stanford. Since Eric was already in the Bay Area, playing in nearly Santa Clara, the two brothers from Baton Rouge reunited in Silicon Valley.

Even living so close to his brother, Justin managed to play his way out of Eric’s shadow. He managed to see the field in 12 games as a freshman in 2015. The Stanford safety was a regular once again in the defensive backfield rotation as a sophomore. And Reid earned second-team All-American honors last season as a junior.

Now Reid prepares for his turn at waiting to see where he lands in the 2018 NFL Draft. Five years after his brother went 18th overall in the first round to the 49ers, could a second Reid emerge as a first-round pick?

Strengths

With such a natural comparison in the family, it is hard not to keep comparing Justin Reid to his brother. But Reid already has NFL-caliber instincts, always in excellent position to break up a reception or snatch away the ball himself.

Reid ran a 4.40 time in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. The time placed Reid second alongside Wisconsin’s Natrell Jamerson and behind only Penn State’s Troy Apke among safeties in the event. Reid also landed among the top 15 players overall in the 40 at the Combine.

Weaknesses

Reid has few discernible flaws to his game, but the biggest is his ability to get beat by speedier receivers closing in. He is slow out of breaks and can get caught cheating up toward run coverage.

Reid still seems to lack confidence in his own skill set at times, getting physical even when he has superior positioning. It is a recipe for disaster at the next level, where such indiscipline could lead to big plays for opposing passing attacks and flags at inopportune moments.

Draft expectations

Looking for flaws is a harder proposition than writing about Reid’s upside as a safety. He has the pedigree to follow in his brother’s footsteps successfully, and his play in Palo Alto demonstrated an ability to make the most of his opportunities. With five interceptions last season, Reid molded himself into a first-round prospect.

Next: NFL Mock Draft 2018: First round through Pro Days

Whether he can land among the top 32 players is another question. Reid is unlikely to beat his brother’s position from the 2013 NFL Draft, but a spot in the high 20s is not unimaginable. If he does slip to the second day of the 2018 NFL Draft, Justin Reid will not be around long in the second round.

Projection: Late first or early second round