Penn State safety Jaylen Reed was drafted by the Houston Texans with the No. 187 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Reed joins fellow safety Kevin Winston Jr., who was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round.

The Detroit native spent four years in Happy Valley, appearing in 50 games and starting 29 of them. He logged 181 total tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 12 pass deflections, and five interceptions for the Nittany Lions.

Early in his career, Reed was log-jammed in a safety room that included two future NFL players in Jaquan Brisker and Ji’Ayir Brown. In 2023, Reed became a fixture of the Penn State secondary, starting all 13 games and earning All-Big Ten honorable mention. In his senior season, he earned All-Big Ten second team honors and plucked a team-high three interceptions.

The two-year starter played both two-high and one-high looks for Manny Diaz and Tom Allen. Reed was also asked to creep down into the slot, where he often blitzed off the edge for Penn State’s defense.

About the Author

Cadyn Gill

Cadyn is a fourth-year broadcast journalism major at Penn State. Hailing from the great state of Texas, he is a die hard Dallas sports fan. You'll often see him voicing his opinions on music and sports on X/Twitter @cgill214. Contact him at cag6339@psu.edu.

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