Austin Reed Draft Profile | Western Kentucky, QB Scouting Report

As the operator of one of the country’s most explosive passing units in the nation, Austin Reed has quickly become a legitimate NFL prospect. Entering his senior season at Western Kentucky, Reed can become a riser on 2024 NFL Draft boards. We’re diving into Reed’s scouting report for next year’s NFL Draft.

Austin Reed Draft Profile and Measurements

• Height: 6’1″
• Weight: 222
• Position: QB
• School: Western Kentucky
• Current Year: Senior

Reed transferred to Western Kentucky to be Bailey Zappe’s heir after the 2021 season. Previously, Reed won a Division II national title with West Florida, throwing for 4,089 yards and totaling 46 touchdowns. He started all 14 games in 2022 for the Hilltoppers, leading the nation in passing yards and tied for third in touchdowns.

Austin Reed Scouting Report

Strengths

• Excellent production throughout his West Florida and Western Kentucky career, showing capable of handling a pass-heavy offense.
• Quick release helps maximize his playmakers’ ability to get the ball and get upfield, as well as mitigate struggling offensive lines.
• Arm strength on short and near-side intermediate throws is good enough to build around and feature often.
• Thickly built player who appears to have a more developed body compared to his peers.
• Is able to run a bit on designed scrambles and was productive on red-zone option calls.
• Reacts quickly to late reads or incoming pressure, avoiding negative plays effectively.
• Extremely fiery player who has immense on-field leadership capabilities.
• Projects well as a backup because of his ability to impact the game for short stints.

Weaknesses

• Comes from an RPO offense similar to Wake Forest’s, which is an elongated mesh point that doesn’t translate to the NFL.
• Arm strength overall is middling as he has to load up to target tight passing windows or receivers on the opposite side of the field. Failing to do so leaves the ball hanging in the air for the defender to play.
• His accuracy is not yet reliable despite being the backbone of this passing attack. He misses too many touch throws because he works to generate velocity.
• Struggles to maintain his efficiency while under pressure and doesn’t identify blitzers or possible weak spots pre-snap well enough to compensate.
• More of a point guard than someone who can create or improvise out of the scheme.

Current Draft Projection and Summary

You know that a passing scheme is effective when a team replaces the nation’s leading passer with someone who also earns that crown. Reed filled in admirably in his first season, taking advantage of playmakers like Malachi Corley, Daewood Davis, and Jaylen Hall. He showed off a skill set that has earned him a draftable grade.

Reed wins with his quick release, solid decision-making, and confidence as much as anything else. He showed areas where he’s still green and learning, including identifying blitz packages and knowing where to go when defenses are aggressive. But it’s fair to expect him to improve there in 2023.

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There are some areas Reed may not be able to improve. He doesn’t have a live, dynamic arm that allows him to create easily outside of structure. His lack of velocity often affects his inability to control how much touch he puts on passes, so the scheme doesn’t feature full-field throws.

Reed also isn’t a nimble runner who will make anyone miss or fear him. But he competes hard and showed a good baseline of talent that has earned players like Mike White and Case Keenum an NFL career despite similar limitations.