After four seasons in Happy Valley, safety Jaylen Reed is headed to the 2025 NFL Draft.

Reed was a four-star recruit from Martin Luther King High School in Detroit, Michigan, when he enrolled at Penn State. The 247Sports Composite ranked him as the 18th-best safety in the country and the ninth-best overall player in the state of Michigan as a member of the 2021 recruiting class. Reed had offers from 31 other schools, including Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Georgia, Oregon, and USC, but ultimately chose Penn State.

“Well-built prospect but not quite as long or tall as other high-end safety prospects. What stands out about him is his consistent ability to make plays. Can go into the box and is excellent in run support because he is smart, instinctive, and tough,” 247Sports’ Allen Trieu said of Reed coming out of high school. “If put in the right position, he will be extremely productive in college and have an opportunity to play a similar role beyond college because of his skill set.”

During his first two seasons with the Nittany Lions, Reed appeared in 21 games but did not register a start until his junior year, when he started all 13 games for Penn State and earned an All-Big Ten honorable mention from coaches and media. Reed saved his best for last, putting together a career 2024 campaign in which he started all 16 games and racked up a team-leading 98 total tackles. The senior also notched 6.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, three pass breakups, and three interceptions.

Reed received an invite to the 2025 NFL Combine, where he clocked a 4.49-second 40-yard dash. The safety also recorded a 33.5-inch vertical jump and pumped out 19 reps on the bench press for scouts. Reed participated in measurements and positional drills at Pro Day in Happy Valley but decided to stand on his combine testing in Indianapolis, opting out of any additional testing.

“With his enforcer mentality, Reed is a blur working downhill, especially as a blitzer, and doesn’t have a passive bone in his body,” said Dane Brugler of The Athletic.

However, Reed’s inconsistent tackling form can lead to missed tackles.

“He’s physical enough as a run supporter but needs to improve his approach as an open-field tackler. Reed is best suited to play as a backup safety in downhill zone coverages,” said NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein.

Zierlein also has mixed feelings on Reed’s coverage abilities, saying, “He plays with natural instincts and route awareness to make plays on the ball, but is too inconsistent in finding where he needs to be in coverage. He doesn’t run well enough to play over the top or handle certain targets in man coverage.”

The two-year starter is projected to be an early day-three selection, as the Consensus Draft Board ranks Reed as the 151st overall player in the 2025 NFL Draft. His sideline-to-sideline range, downhill ability, and positional versatility undoubtedly give Reed starter potential at the next level, but he will most likely begin his career as a backup and special teamer until he improves his pursuit angles and discipline in coverage.

According to Mike Garafolo, Reed has had pre-draft visits with the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Lions, and New York Jets.

The NFL Draft begins at 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 24, and ends on Saturday, April 26, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. All seven rounds will be televised on ESPN and the NFL Network.