NFL Draft
4/9/25
5 min read
Karene Reid 2025 NFL Draft: Scouting Report For Utah Utes LB
Height: 6000 (verified)
Weight: 231lbs (verified)
Year: Senior
Pro Comparison: Tanner Vallejo
Scouting Overview
Utah Utes linebacker Karene Reid projects as a depth linebacker and potential special teams staple at the NFL level. Reid has illustrated good football IQ and instincts, but he’s a physically capped player who is not well built to endure the rigors of living in the core.
Reid is an appealing player to serve as a special teams coverage player in space.
2025 NFL Combine Results
DNP
Positives
- Plays with good eyes and makes sharp decisions to diagnose
- Shows a hot motor and will make second and third-effort plays
- Has been a disciplined tackler with nine credited missed tackles in his last two seasons
Negatives
- Notably, an undersized player who lacks the frame and physicality to bang at the line of scrimmage
- Older prospect on account of a two-year mission trip — was a member of the recruiting class of 2018
- Lacking in reps on teams relative to its importance in his pathway to playing time
Background
Reid is from American Fork, UT, and played high school football for Timpview HS. He is the son of Spencer Reid, who played at BYU and played three seasons at the NFL level. At Timpview, Karene was a 3-star recruit (247 Sports) who was named First Team All-State his senior year and originally committed to Utah State as a member of the 2018 recruiting class.
He would go on to serve a two-year mission before pursuing his college career, and by the time he returned from his trip, he decided to walk on with the Utes instead of playing at Utah State.
Reid quickly earned a scholarship at Utah, starting six out of the 10 games he played as a freshman. He was a full-time starter the rest of the way — named Second Team All-PAC 12 in 2022 and 2023 while starting 25 games across those two seasons. Reid missed a third of the 2024 season due to injury but was still a productive starter across eight games.
He ended his career as a two-time captain with Utah and by attending the 2025 Reese's Senior Bowl.
Tale Of The Tape
Reid is a sharp football player with some pleasant qualities that could carve out a niche role in the right home. In a perfect world, he’s not asked to work a lot in coverage, nor is he well-equipped to play a plug role.
Reid is more of a blue-collar worker off the ball who can positively impact passing downs as a pressure/add-on player. The spatial awareness to play in heavy traffic but take proper paths to the football is a skill that can help him keep his head above water as a stack defender.
He does blur the lines with his build a bit. Good tackling habits are present here, but not an especially significant tackle radius. He relies on his processing and short-area fluidity to guide him into well-balanced and controlled tackle challenges. Because he showcases functional NFL speed as a defender in pursuit, teams could be willing to put him away from the strength and use him as a chase defender if their depth is tested.
Reid also offers a productive profile as a pressure player. He has a career pressure rate of nearly 24 percent across his four seasons at Utah. He’s quick, twitchy, fluid, and can flatten on free runs off the edge. Reid does not back down from physical challenges against backs in protection when turned loose on interior gaps as well.
There’s not a universal fit for every scheme, but there’s enough here to work with and piece together a valuable role player within a linebacker room. Just don’t ask him to be a plug run fitter. He’s better served playing away from the formational strength or living behind a gap-control line on early downs.
Special teams is likely the ticket. It usually is for undersized, fluid backers who tackle well. But, interestingly enough, Reid isn’t particularly advanced in this role. He played 16 total snaps in 2024 on kickoff, kickoff return, punt, and punt return.
More than half of his career special teams snaps (135 of 251) have come on field goal blocks. So there’s some faith that may be required, but Reid’s football IQ and leadership should be enough to endear him to a team and warrant the opportunity.
Ideal Scheme Fit, Role
Reid projects as a depth player who is best served executing reps on special teams.
In a pinch, he could fit in as a stack linebacker on early downs, but his coverage limitations will likely prompt him to surrender reps to more dynamic coverage players. His passing down value comes as a hybrid rush player, which would require a tailored vision.
Grade: 71.00/100.00, Fifth Round Value
Big Board Rank: 181
Position Rank: LB13
Make sure to check out our new home for all of our NFL Draft content.
