Texans pick Justin Reid could be an even better safety than his brother Eric Reid

When you’re a younger sibling, sometimes it can feel like you’re walking in the shadow of the older sibling. Well, what if your older brother was a five-year NFL veteran, and you were an NFL hopeful at his same position?

Justin Reid is a former Stanford safety and one of the newest members of the Houston Texans after getting taken with pick No. 68 in the third round. His older brother is Pro Bowler Eric Reid, former free safety for the San Francisco 49ers who’s now a free agent.

The three grew up in a pretty rivalry-friendly household. In an interview with NBC Sports, Eric said Justin being treated differently as the youngest child egged him and his brother Ryan on:

“He was the baby, so my parents always treated him like a baby. Me and Ryan hated that, so we would always go that much harder on him,” the now 25-year-old Eric told NBC Sports Bay Area from the 49ers’ locker room after a recent practice. “Whether it was video games, sports or whatever. We just always made sure we beat him into the ground.”

Justin may have been smaller than his older siblings, but he was every bit as competitive. And he had a plan for payback.

“Whenever we weren’t around, he would just practice, practice, practice until he got better than us,” Eric said.

At age 12, Justin landed his first knockout in Dragon Ball Z, one of the brothers’ favorite video games.

“One day, I could never beat him any more at video games,” Eric said through a smile. “I was like, ‘OK. I guess I’m not playing that any more.’”

Justin said that he’s learned a lot from Eric, who has admitted that his younger brother is now faster than he is. It’s only fitting that Justin pursue an NFL career at safety like Eric. But they’re not the same in every respect.

That’s partially due to his kneeling during the national anthem the last two seasons in San Francisco in protest of the oppression and injustices faced by people of color in the United States. He was one of the first players to join Colin Kaepernick, who started the movement during the 2016 preseason.

Reid has been one of the more outspoken NFL players since the movement started, and wrote a powerful op-ed in the New York Times detailing why he and Kaepernick have protested.

He’s still looking for a team after becoming a free agent this offseason, and during a visit with the Cincinnati Bengals, wasn’t willing to commit to not kneeling anymore:

During his visit, ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio reports that kneeling during the national anthem became a topic of discussion with owner Mike Brown:

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Brown personally met with Reid when Reid visited the Bengals on Monday. Brown, according to the source, initiated discussion regarding the issue of kneeling during the anthem. The conversation almost exclusively centered on the topic, with Brown explaining that he intends to prohibit it — and with Brown at one point asking Reid for his response.

Reid, caught off guard by the line of questioning, wasn’t willing to make a commitment on the spot. Last month, Reid said he’s currently not planning to kneel or otherwise demonstrate during the anthem. But Reid, who is considering other options for bringing attention to societal issues he considers to be important, hasn’t made any final decisions, and he wasn’t willing to do so at the direct request and behest of Brown.

But just a couple days ahead of the draft, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said there’s a possibility that Reid could return to the team.

Reid’s activism will likely continue, but his NFL future could be up in the air, as we’ve seen with Kaepernick. At the very least, he’s taken a visit with a team this offseason, while Kaepernick recently had one cancelled with the Seahawks after he also declined to commit to stop kneeling during the national anthem.

In March, Justin told The Guardian that the teams he met with have not asked him about his brother’s protests.

“We each have our own beliefs,” Justin said via the newspaper. “He felt like that’s what he needed to do. I have my own ways that I feel like I’m going to go about it. I’m not as much of a vocal person in that situation. I don’t really like drama. I don’t want to deal with that.”

He played in all but two games in his three seasons at Stanford. His best season was in 2017, when he was named a second-team All-American and put up 99 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and five interceptions. Here’s his scouting report via New York Giants blog Big Blue View:

In another draft Reid might be in the conversation as the top safety in his class. However, the presence of Minkah Fitzpatrick and Derwin James will push him down boards some.

But while he doesn’t quite have their versatility and utility, Reid is a good free safety prospect in his own right. He has the versatility to come down and cover slot receivers as well as play as a true free safety in a single-high look, which should give freedom to his future defensive coordinator.

While Reid is not a perfect analog to Tyrann Mathieu, that versatility and the playmaking ability he showed this past year are traits that James Bettcher maximized in the Cardinals’ defense. Reid would make an intriguing addition to the Giants’ secondary along with Landon Collins, and bring a skill-set that Darian Thompson and Andrew Adams don’t share.

Dan Kadar has Reid as the No. 64 overall prospect in this year’s class, and he went close to that spot in the class.

At the NFL Combine in February, he had impressive numbers, tying for second among safeties with his 4.4 40-yard dash, and he was third in the 20-yard shuttle, as well as the three-cone drill. Depending on where he gets drafted depends partially on where teams want him — he’s listed as a free safety but played cornerback at Stanford, too.

Playing safety in the NFL is in Justin’s genes, so he could have a chance to have a career like his older brother’s — or maybe even a better one for the Texans.