Former Penn State safety Jaylen Reed has agreed to a four-year, $4.95 million contract with the Houston Texans that includes a $243,800 signing bonus, per a league source reveal on Thursday.
Reed is a 6 foot, 211-pound safety who earned second-team All-Big Ten Conference a season ago with Penn State that fueled the Nittany Lions to their first College Football Playoff berth reaching the Semifinals in the Orange Bowl.
Reed had three interceptions, including a critical second half pick-six against Wisconsin, 98 tackles (51 solo), three passes defended, 2.5 sacks, and a forced fumble.
Reed made a season-best 10 tackles against Minnesota on November 23 and finished with 98 total tackles in 16 games. He earned career highs in tackles for loss (6.5), sacks (2.5), forced fumbles (1), interceptions (3), and passes defended (6).ย
Reedโs pick-six against Wisconsin gave PSU a 14-10 lead in the third quarter and led the way to victory after Drew Allar was injured and QB Beau Pribula entered in relief.ย
He finished his four-year career in Happy Valley with 181 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 12 passes defended, and 5 interceptions, steadily improving in coverage and tackling during his senior campaign.
Reed, 22, became a second-team all-conference player one season after being named an All-Big Ten honorable mention. He started all 13 games as a junior, earning 46 tackles and two interceptions.ย
The 6-foot, 212-pound safety continued to improve year by year and enters the pros with 29 career starts.ย
