September 8, 2012; Palo Alto, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal safety
Ed Reynolds(29) returns an interception for a touchdown against the Duke Blue Devils during the third quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Stanford safety Ed Reynolds doesn’t lack any of the physical tools to succeed at the next level. He stands 6’2″ tall and weighs in at 205 pounds. This is not only ideal for a player at his position, but he also possesses a lanky body that helps him play even bigger than that.
Reynolds comes from a rich football history. His father (Ed Reynolds Sr.) played linebacker for the Giants and Patriots from 1983-1992. You can see the physical type of play that his father brought to the game when you watch Reynolds play. Sometimes, he gets a little aggressive and can be flagged, but that is something that could be worked on at the NFL level.
If not for a knee injury that sidelined him for an entire year, Ed Reynolds could be one of the most talked about players in this year’s class at safety. Reynolds tore his ACL and it forced him to miss the 2011 year. With one more established year on his resume, he could have seen his stock rise significantly.
Here are his statistics over three NCAA seasons at Stanford:
Dec 27, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal safety Ed Reynolds at press conference for the 2013 Rose Bowl at the L.A. Hotel Downtown. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports
33 games played
89 solo tackles
139 total tackles
7 interceptions
3 defensive touchdowns
13 passes defended
These statistics are kind of skewed when you think that Ed Reynolds only accumulated 5 tackles in his first year at Stanford in a very limited role. There is no reason to believe that he is done developing as a safety since he seems to get smarter each year he plays.
Strengths
- Ideal size
- Long arms
- Smart defender
- Excellent in run support
Weaknesses
- ACL injury kept him out of action in 2011
- Can be overly aggressive at times
- Lowers his head too often when tackling
Fit For The Vikings
Reynolds could help compete to fill a hole next to Harrison Smith at safety. Currently, there will be a competition between Jamarca Sanford, Mistral Raymond, Andrew Sendejo, Robert Blanton, Kurt Coleman, and Brandan Bishop. The position is wide open for the taking.
My Take
With a name like Ed Reynolds, I like to imagine that he’s from that show “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia”. But jokes aside, Reynolds could be a steal if he’s available with the Vikings second 3rd round pick or even their 4th round selection.