Quarterback prospects come in all shapes and sizes entering the NFL. Western Kentucky’s Austin Reed happens to come with an exceptional amount of production on the football field during his collegiate career.
After throwing for over 8,000 yards and 71 touchdown passes over his two seasons with the Hilltoppers, Reed’s production profile at a smaller school looks great on paper. Still, questions remain about his game translating to the professional ranks once he sees a significant jump in competition, and his passing game scheme isn’t so dependent on the screen game.
This begs the question, what are some of the best landing spots for Reed in the 2024 NFL Draft?
Which Teams Could Draft Austin Reed?
Las Vegas Raiders Select Austin Reed as Project With Starter Potential
The Las Vegas Raiders addressed the quarterback position this offseason by adding veteran Gardner Minshew to Aidan O’Connell on the team’s depth chart. This doesn’t necessarily mean the organization won’t address the position during the 2024 NFL Draft, which could put Reed in play on Day 3.
Reed’s sneaky athleticism combined with his proven production at Western Kentucky could have him competing for the No. 2 spot heading into the season opener with a strong training camp and preseason.
The number of reps he would likely see with the starting duo of Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers will likely be limited early on. However, if Reed were to showcase his capabilities to operate within structure that we saw from him in college, then his situation could be favorable for a young quarterback seeing early playing time with competent playmakers on the outside.
Reed isn’t going to wow most evaluators with his arm or athleticism. But his natural pocket manipulation, adequate arm velocity, and flashes of anticipatory throws make him a worthwhile project for a team in need of a long-term answer at the QB position.
New York Giants Land Reed as Potential Insurance Policy for Daniel Jones
Prior to the disaster cake that was the 2023 season for the New York Giants, Brian Daboll was revered for his role in the development of Josh Allen and Daniel Jones. Those voices aren’t quite as loud after a 6-11 campaign one year after making it to the playoffs and winning in the Wild Card round.
Jones is under contract through the 2026 season — a scary proposition for some — but his days could be numbered very quickly if he continues to struggle under center in 2024. Reed’s production in college could entice the organization to invest draft capital in a capable backup who could one day develop into a starter.
San Francisco 49ers Draft Backup for Brock Purdy
Brock Purdy has plenty of job security ahead of the 2024 NFL season. Still, the loss of Sam Darnold to the Vikings in free agency potentially puts the 49ers in the market for a backup quarterback. Sure, they added Joshua Dobbs, but Reed provides a nice developmental piece on the roster.
Reed’s touch and accuracy on deep balls need some work at the next level, but San Francisco’s offense does feature some of the best yards-after-catch producers in the NFL.
Reed is an adequate distributor of the football but certainly could use some time to clean up his delivery when pushing the ball into the intermediate-to-deep levels of the football field.
KEEP READING: Jordan Travis’ 2024 NFL Draft Landing Spots
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