After a week of scheduling conflicts, Justin Reid boarded a plane to New England on Wednesday for a pre-draft meeting with the Patriots.
Reid, a highly regarded safety out of Stanford, provided that update himself via his Instagram account, as shared by Josh Norris of Rotoworld.
Norris reported last Tuesday that the Patriots had unsuccessfully tried to schedule a visit with Reid, who is considered one of the top safeties available in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Reid fits the mold of a Patriots player to a T. The younger brother of former San Francisco 49ers safety Eric Reid, he’s lauded for his intelligence and versatility, playing all over the secondary for the Cardinal and taking pride in his ability to rattle off each defender’s responsibilities in a given coverage.
As a senior in 2017, Reid racked up 94 tackles, 6 1/2 tackles for loss, five interceptions, six pass breakups, one sack and one fumble recovery. He’s projected to come off the board late in the first round or early in the second, meaning he could be an option for the Patriots at pick Nos. 31 or 43.
Safety is not the Patriots’ biggest need entering next week’s draft — Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung and Duron Harmon all are signed through at least 2019 — but they could use a boost at the position. McCourty and Chung both are on the wrong side of 30, and No. 4 safety Jordan Richards has been a major disappointment since being drafted in the second round in 2015.
Reid also has visited the Pittsburgh Steelers, who could look to nab him at 28th overall.
