FROM NFL.COM
Analysis
Positives: Well-built athlete with long arms, broad shoulders, tight abdomen, thick thighs and calves...Has the frame to add needed bulk without any drop-off in quickness, for a possible move to the backfield as a fullback or to be used as a motion tight end/H-back...
Physical position blocker who has nimble feet and does a nice job escaping the jam to get into his routes...Has excellent lateral agility and uses his hands well to lock on and ride the defender wide...Demonstrates fluid change- of-direction agility and shows good hip snap while combating for the ball over the middle...Catches well in the short area and has an explosive initial burst off the snap to gain advantage over a lethargic defender...Uses his upper-body power well to get a good push off the defender to escape the jam...Stays low, extends his arms and keeps his feet shuffling in pass protection along the edge and has shown good angles getting to the second level in attempts to cut block...Shows no hesitation attacking and neutralizing linebackers and keeps his pads down while showing the quickness to hook defensive ends inside on sweeps...Has a good feel for the soft areas in the zone, using his frame well to shield the ball from the defender in man coverage...Extends his arms to catch away from the framework of his body and appears to have the natural pass-catching skills to adjust to low passes...Won't hesitate to sacrifice his body to get to passes in a crowd...Maintains balance when engaging defenders and has the short-area speed to line up in a variety of spots...Shows the leg drive to drag a defensive back after the catch...Searches out defenders to deliver a crunching block for the ground game on the short pulls along the outside...Looks in the routine pass, making proper jumps to get to the ball at its high point...Possesses the valid speed to threaten the seam.
Negatives: Has limited starting experience at the major-college level and no experience as a lead blocker for the running game (most are on sweeps or outside runs)...Has a strong hand punch to stop the bull rush, but will sometimes lean into the defender and bends at the waist trying to recover...Not shifty running after the catch, and is really a one-cut runner, but has the valid burst and leg strength to break arm tackles...Does not always run pass routes with urgency...Effective pass blocker, but does not hit on the rise or roll his hips properly for in-line blocking situations, making him a work in progress for any potential move to fullback...Shows good power as a blocker and when engaging defenders coming off the snap, but will sometimes lunge at the man and is slow to recover.
Compares To: SHANNON SHARPE-ex-Denver...The ideal role for Reece might require bulking up a bit, but get him with a team using the West Coast offense and make him an H-Back or tight end in motion and he might be a find. He could also be effective as a slot receiver in that offense, as his size will create mismatches against safeties and cornerbacks. The party line is that he is being looked at as a fullback, but Reese has too much speed to be relegated to blocking duties and has never played that position. Aligning Reese at fullback would be placing a Mona Lisa in the garage. Put him front and center, with a role in the receiving unit, and you might just unearth one of the sleepers of this draft.
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