Houston Texans associate head coach Romeo Crennel says that rookies DT Ross Blacklock, OLB Jonathan Greenard, and CB John Reid are doing well.
The Houston Texans had a five-man class in the 2020 NFL Draft, and three of their selections came on defense.
Second-round defensive tackle Ross Blacklock, third-round outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard, and cornerback John Reid are expected to contribute to the defense, even following an offseason that lacked the tradition programs to acclimate rookies.
“I think those guys have good ability,” associate head coach Romeo Crennel said. “You can see it on the practice field, but you know my deal about rookies. They’re rookies. They’re going to make mistakes and they still have a lot to learn.”
Normally, rookies would have a rookie mini-camp within two weeks after the draft followed by the organized team activities and a mandatory mini-camp in June. Training camp would feature four preseason games throughout August to get rookies ready for the speed of the game and impact of the collisions.
All of those are gone in 2020, and Blacklock, Greenard, and Reid will have to be ready to go Sept. 10 against the Kansas City Chiefs to start the regular season.
“That will be a huge game,” said Crennel. “That’s a big game. So, to have to feel your way through the game probably is not the best thing for a player. That’s why the veteran players who have experience, I think they’re going to operate better.”
Even though the season may be skewed more towards veterans, Crennel likes what the trio could bring to the Texans overall.
Said Crennel: “But these young players we do have, I like all of them. I see the talent that they do have and I think they’re going to be very good players for us.”
Blacklock is taking over for D.J. Reader at defensive tackle, Greenard bolstering the Texans’ pass rush, and Reid has the ability to play slot corner in new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver’s defense.
The Houston Texans have agreed to terms with fourth-round rookie cornerback John Reid.
The Houston Texans are chipping away at getting their 2020 NFL Draft class signed as rookies reported to the team facility on Monday.
With third-round edge defender Jonathan Greenard under contract, the Texans are on the verge of getting their second member of five-man draft class on board.
According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, the Texans and fourth-round cornerback John Reid have agreed to terms on a four-year contract worth $3.789 million. The Penn State product and the Texans have only agreed to terms; the contract remains to be signed, but the former Philadelphia St. Joseph’s Preparatory School alumnus should become a Texan soon enough.
Texans have agreed to terms with rookie cornerback John Reid, a fourth-round draft pick from Penn State, on a four-year, $3.789 million contract, according to a league source. Signing to follow
Coach Bill O’Brien likes Reid’s ability to play both inside and outside in new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver’s defense.
“I think he can do both,” O’Brien told reporters on April 25. “I do think that he can play on the inside. I think he’s got good quickness, he’s got good toughness. I’ve known John for a while. When I was at Penn State he was a sophomore in high school and came to our camp. I think we offered him a scholarship right there. Really smart guy, comes from a great family.
“But yeah, I think he can do both. I think he can play on the inside and I also think that he’ll help us on special teams.”
Reid left Penn State with 125 total tackles and seven interceptions. Reid also earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2017.
Along with second-round defensive tackle Ross Blacklock and Greenard, Weaver expects Reid to contribute early for the Texans.
“Those are guys that have played some significant snaps and have played well in college, and we expect them to come here and to contribute because they have the three qualities that we talk about all the time: guys that are dependable, guys that are tough and guys that are smart,” Weaver told reporters on May 13. “They have those attributes, and if you have those things, then you have a chance to come in and come in and play early.”
Pro Football Focus listed their favorite and least favorite picks the Houston Texans selected in the 2020 NFL Draft.
[jwplayer wRd1S1Hj]
The Houston Texans selected five players in the 2020 NFL Draft, which made it easier for pundits to identify who were their favorite picks and who weren’t.
“Reid has exceptional instincts for the position and can be thrown in the slot from day one,” Renner wrote.
The Texans have a deep cornerback group, but the challenge for first-year defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver will be determining who can help improve the coverage. Having a young, mature, versatile cornerback such as Reid would help.
Renner was not impressed with the Texans’ selection of Florida outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard, who the Texans picked 90th overall in the third round.
“Greenard is a well below-average athlete at a position where athleticism matters a good deal,” Renner wrote. “He struggled mightily against better tackles in the SEC last year.”
Even though Greenard may have struggled against SEC tackles, he isn’t expected to be the dominant pass rusher from the outset. The rookie will be part of a wave of pass rushers that includes Brennan Scarlett, Duke Ejiofor, Whitney Mercilus, and Jacob Martin. As long as Greenard can one day grow into the type of pass rusher that can adequately upgrade or replace those players, then the pick was a success.
Houston Texans coach Bill O’Brien wanted to add CB John Reid to his team when he was coaching at Penn State. Now, O’Brien finally got him.
When Bill O’Brien was the head football coach at Penn State from 2012-13, he remembers three football camps for high schoolers that would take place each spring.
“We had camp and Penn State camp there’s probably three sessions and 1,000 kids come to each session,” the Houston Texans coach and general manager told reporters April 25.
When a high school athlete that had potential would show up at the camp, O’Brien or a member of his staff would bring the kid aside and work them out separately.
John Reid, a sophomore from St. Joseph’s Preparatory School in Philadelphia, was one of those kids.
“We took him on the field and did some drills with him and just noticed right away his movement skills,” O’Brien recalled. “This is when he was 14-15 years old — his ability to follow directions, his intensity, his seriousness.”
According to O’Brien, Reid battled through injuries while with the Nittany Lions, collecting 37 pass breakups, the 11th-most in school history.
Said O’Brien: “He went through some adversity there at Penn State, injuries and different things, but he came out last year and was highly recommended by James Franklin and did a good job last year at Penn State. We were glad to be able to get him.”
Reid will be part of a crammed cornerback room that includes Bradley Roby, Gareon Conley, Lonnie Johnson, Vernon Hargreaves, and Phillip Gaines among other corners. If his health is able to cooperate with his athleticism and diligence, Reid should challenge for a spot on the 53-man roster.
Newly drafted Houston Texans cornerback John Reid has watched plenty of pro level corners. Here are the three he patterns his game after.
The Houston Texans picked up a cornerback in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft when they selected John Reid at 141st overall on day three.
The former Penn State Nittany Lion has watched plenty of tape of NFL cornerbacks while in college and high school.
“I watch a mix of guys depending on what I was looking for,” Reid told reporters April 25.
Here are the three cornerbacks Reid molds his game after.
1. Chris Harris
Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
Reid said that he loved the way Harris would play inside and outside when he was with the Denver Broncos. The former 2011 undrafted free agent from Kansas collected four Pro Bowls and an All-Pro selection in his nine seasons in Denver, batting away 86 passes, intercepting 20 others, and recording 518 tackles.
The chief complaint is that the Texans traded away receiver DeAndre Hopkins and didn’t net a first-round pick out of the trade with the Arizona Cardinals on March 16. That automatically disqualified them from having a great draft, even with their selections getting off on the right foot by taking TCU defensive tackle Ross Blacklock.
For Easterling, the Texans really kind of went back into the slump after the third round when they picked up a cornerback.
That’s as good as it got for the Texans this weekend, though. Jonathan Greenard is a solid edge defender who impressed at the Senior Bowl, but waiting until the fourth round for a corner proved to be way to long. Penn State’s John Reid is decent, but not immediate starter material, and that’s what Houston needed at a key position.
If a team wants to upgrade at cornerback, they should do it with a premium pick, something in the top-100. When a team just drafts a cornerback in the fourth round and beyond, they are essentially picking up a camp body or special teamer. It is seldom that these cornerbacks at that late in the draft class manifest into top flight talent.
North Carolina offensive tackle Charlie Heck and Rhode Island receiver Isaiah Coulter were picks that Easterling endorsed.
The dearth of draft picks on the part of the Texans was due to coach and general manager Bill O’Brien’s belief that rookies are going to have a hard time adjusting to the pro level due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the NFL’s offseason programs. Even if that is the case, having a five-man draft class could prove costly a couple years down the road when the Texans need quality depth to arise from their own roster to replace talent hitting the free agency market.
The Houston Texans drafted CB John Reid in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. What kind of player are the AFC South champs getting?
The Houston Texans added another cornerback to their defense on Saturday in the final day of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Houston selected former Penn State cornerback John Reid with the 141st pick in Round 4.
The Texans already have a bevy of cornerbacks on the roster with Bradley Roby, Gareon Conley, Lonnie Johnson, Phillip Gaines, Vernon Hargreaves, Keion Crossen, and Cornell Armstrong. Reid will need to bring more than just nominal coverage to first-year defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver’s defense.
Reid believes Houston will get a highly competitive football player.
Cornerbacks are a dime a dozen every year in the draft. However, Reid doesn’t want to cruise along with the rest of the pack. The former Nittany Lion has bigger aspirations for his pro football career.
“I really want to be great at this,” said Reid. “I love to prepare. I’m excited to get to the next level and bring that work ethic with me. I’m excited for my future team to see that side of me. I’m going to prepare to be great.”
The Houston Texans have drafted cornerback John Reid from Penn State with their 141st pick in Round 4 of the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Houston Texans have addressed their need at cornerback in the draft.
With the 141st overall pick in Round 4 of the 2020 NFL Draft Saturday, the Texans selected John Reid from Penn State.
Reid is a ballhawking defensive back that should help the secondary improve its takeaways through the air. Reid also knows how draw incomplete passes as he produced 24 career pass breakups with the Nittany Lions.
At the NFL combine, Reid showed off a little bit of his speed with a 4.49 time in the 40-yard dash. At the combine, Reid had plenty of informal interviews, but he did not indicate whether or not he had any formals in Indianapolis.
The Texans currently have Bradley Roby, Gareon Conley, Cornell Armstrong, Vernon Hargreaves, Keion Crossen, and Phillip Gaines on the roster at cornerback. Reid will provide competition and depth.
Check out Draft Wire’s exclusive interview with Penn State cornerback prospect John Reid
Few programs have been as successful as Penn State when it comes to churning out NFL talent on an annual basis, especially on defense.
One of the latest in a long line of talented prospects to come out of Happy Valley, cornerback John Reid recently spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about his experience at the NFL Scouting Combine, the big numbers he put up in college, and what kind of impact he’ll have at the next level.
JM: You had 24 career pass break-ups and seven interceptions throughout your time at Penn State. What is it about your game that allowed you to be around the ball so much?
JR: I think a lot of it just had to do with the confidence I have in myself. A lot of it had to do with good preparation leading up to the game. It’s important to have a good week of practice. I enjoy spending time getting to know my opponent. I always know what to expect. You always play a lot more confident when you’re prepared.
JM: What was your experience like at the NFL Scouting Combine?
JR: It was a great experience. I grew up dreaming about receiving that invite. I used to wanna stay home from school to watch it on television (laughs). I used to look forward to watching my favorite players in college perform at the combine. I always dreamed about being that guy one day. It was a dream come true.
Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports
JM: You had a great combine. You ran a 4.49 in the 40-yard dash. What do you think is the overall impression that you left out there?
JR: I had some goals going in. I definitely wanted to show my speed. I wanted to show my transitions and prove that I’m a fluid athlete. I wanted to flip my hips during the on-field drills and show the teams that I can make those transitions effortlessly. I feel like I’ve been doing the testing portion of the combine my entire life. Before I even got to high school, my dad and I would set up a fake little combine in our backyard (laughs). I knew that I could test well. I really wanted people to see my footwork and the football side of things.
JM: It must have been fun for your dad to watch you perform at the real combine.
JR: Everybody was definitely very excited for me. It was cool knowing that my family was at home watching me at the combine on the television. I played at Penn State so of course they got to watch a lot of games on TV and what not, but you’re a lot more isolated at the combine. It’s really just you out there (laughs). It’s definitely a different feeling.
JM: Did you have a lot of formal or informal interviews at the combine?
JR: I had a lot of informals. I was definitely getting pulled in every direction. That’s how it is at the combine. You’re meeting with the teams and it’s a fluid situation. I had a lot of informals.
JM: Do you have any private visits or workouts lined up, or is everything happening after the pro day?
JR: All of my private workouts and visits will occur after the pro day. I have a few lined up already. We’re keeping things under wraps for now. This is all new to me. I have all these reminders set in my phone (laughs). We’re just taking things day by day. The pro day is going down March 17th. I plan on attending the Jets and Bills local days as well.
Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports
JM: What was the strangest question you were asked a the combine?
JR: I didn’t really get anything strange. I would say that everything was pretty standard and straight forward. I don’t necessarily have anything that stands out. I just had some regular questionnaire sessions.
JM: Who are some of the best receivers you’ve covered throughout your time at Penn State?
JR: I thought that Minnesota, Ohio State and Memphis had some quality receivers. I still remembering covering guys during my freshmen year. I still think about that. You’re always playing against the best of the best at Penn State.
JM: I heard that you’re a big video game guy. What are some of your favorite video games of all time?
JR: I play a lot of World of Warcraft (laughs). I also love Call of Duty. I play World of Warcraft on my computer. That’s the best way to play it. I’ll play Call of Duty on the console, though.
JM: If you were going into battle tomorrow and could only bring one teammate with you, who would it be and why?
JR: I would bring Cam Brown with me. He’s coming out with me in this draft class. We played on the same side of the field. He’s very tenacious and he’s a great leader. I had a lot of fun playing with him.
JM: What kind of player is John Reid gonna be at the next level?
JR: I’m an ultra-competitive kinda guy. I love the game of football. I’m somebody that works really hard at their craft. They’re gonna get somebody that takes the game very seriously. I really wanna be great at this. I love to prepare. I’m excited to get to the next level and bring that work ethic with me. I’m excited for my future team to see that side of me. I’m gonna prepare to be great.
