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Austin Reed 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Trey Daubert / NFL, NFL Draft / April 4, 2024

Austin Reed 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Austin Reed is next on deck as we do some rapid fire stuff with the rest of the quarterback class for the 2024 NFL Draft. As quickly as I can (because it feels like I have 500 more players to do) let’s chat about the Western Kentucky quarterback.

Look, some of the same school comparison stuff is lazy. A perfect example is while most of the Ohio State receivers are talented, they’re also completely different in play styles. All I’m saying is it just might apply with the Western Kentucky quarterbacks. Mike White, Bailey Zappe, and now Austin Reed. All three having really good passing numbers but are incredibly underwhelming in the arm strength department. Pure distributors but total water guns.

For Reed, that was on display at the Combine . Arm strength isn’t everything but there is at least a base line required to play at the NFL level. Reed does not have that. Neither of the Western Kentucky guys have. It’s a big reason why Zappe stinks. We literally have tracking evidence for how these guys have faired and none of them have been worth the squeeze in terms of middle round picks.

I don’t have any Western Kentucky stuff featured in the Stock report notes but we did get a good look at Reed during the East-West Game. It was really ugly but you can read that here.

Even if Reed does stick, it’s only as a backup. There is no real ceiling here. No recruiting background either. Zero star recruit coming out of high school. Got his college career started playing for the West Florida Argonauts in 2019. The numbers for the last two years for Reed while playing for the Hilltoppers are good. 71 touchdowns and 22 picks during that time. A lot of it is gimmick stuff. Approximately 30% of his throws were behind the line of scrimmage in 2023. For comparison’s sake, Zappe threw 62 touchdowns as a senior during the 2021 season before Reed took over. Take the numbers as a grain of salt is what I’m trying to tell you.

Checks in at 6-foot-1, 220. Ran a 4.82 on the 40. He’s just a regular person. No freak stuff here. Big hands though. Nearly 10 inches. Helps him at least grip the ball. Has some wiggle to him but a weird release. Also does this weird thing where he thinks he’s Brett Favre except with no zip on the ball. Not sure he has great judgment just watching him air it out. Plus, the deep ball with that arm is trash.