Five local underclassmen entering 2018 NFL Draft
By Ben Almquist
2018 NFL Draft: 5 Local Juniors
#3 DJ Reed – CB – Kansas State
The diminutive corner from the Kansas State Wildcats, DJ Reed, is by no means a surprise declarant for the 2018 NFL Draft. Reed is a two time All-Big 12 cornerback, and had it not been for a late injury, would have been in the mix for several awards. For a player like Reed, there just wasn’t much left to prove in college.
Current Projection: 5th Round – 6th Round
DJ Reed’s small size is definitely the biggest hand up on his draft stock. It’s one thing to be a smaller corner. It’s another to be 5’9 with a generous measurement. Still, there is no denying his talent, and that will certainly get him drafted somewhere. It’ll be interesting to see how he transitions to the NFL.
Despite his lower end draft projection, it’s hard to fault DJ Reed on this decision. He’s not going to get any taller, so there really isn’t any way to really drive up his stock with another season. He might as well show teams what he has right now and try to make the jump as early as possible. Though he may have been able to make All-American with one more year.
Decision Grade: B+