Texans’ Justin Reid was best as a deep free safety

Even though safety Justin Reid was impressive in 2018, his rookie season was also the Houston Texans figuring out how to best utilize their third-round pick.

If Houston is looking for some suggestions, then perhaps Pro Football Focus’ evaluation of the former Stanford Cardinal paying deep safety should be taken into consideration. According to the analytics site, this was the best position for the young defensive back.

There's no question that Justin Reid's best position is as a deep free safety. He held quarterbacks to a paltry 63.6 passer rating when lined up there, while allowing a 110.5 rating when positioned anywhere else on the field. pic.twitter.com/rCooCTWXSP

— PFF HOU Texans (@PFF_Texans) February 25, 2019

Part of what the Texans have to consider when they make their decisions with regards to bringing back free agent safety Tyrann Mathieu and defensive back Kareem Jackson is how they can help keep Reid at the deep safety spot. The limitations in the secondary had Reid playing at more spots on the back end, which led to him being exposed. If the Texans can find ways to keep Reid playing deep, it bodes well for the defense.