Navy QB Keenan Reynolds is participating in the East-West Shrine Game this week, and is trying his hand at the RB or slot WR position after an incredible career running the ball at college…
With 88 career touchdowns, it’s impossible to think that former Navy QB Keenan Reynolds won’t be able to find a place in the NFL, despite his 5-11 195 pound frame.
At East-West Shrine practices, NFL scouts and coaches are trying to find the best place for Reynolds at the next level, and some have already decided that he’s neither a quarterback or a running back at the next level. Here’s a quote from an AFC scout that came from a piece on NFL.com:
“I would like to see him play in the slot rather than taking these dumb zone-read snaps. I don’t think he’s a running back, but he might be a slot receiver. I just need to see him get some legitimate receiver snaps.”
The biggest question for Reynolds going to the next level is not how often he can hit paydirt. He has a nose for the end zone, but he fumbled the football 32 times in his collegiate career, losing a whopping 18. That may be over-stated a bit due to the amount of times that he touched the ball but it is a bit alarming.
I’ll take a shot at a player that Reynolds might not directly compare to, but he could certainly emulate. New England Patriots slot receiver Julian Edelman played quarterback at Kent State back in the day before the Patriots discovered him as basically a blank canvas ‘athlete’ in the 7th round of the draft.
Edelman has now developed into the premiere slot receiver in the NFL, and Reynolds would be wise to follow in his footsteps of simply being a great football player who can contribute in a large variety of ways. Edelman has not only played receiver, he’s taken carries out of the backfield, he’s thrown the ball, he’s played special teams, and he’s even played a little defensive back for the Patriots when injuries piled up.
Reynolds might not be that versatile, but NFL coaches and scouts are going to want to see what he can do, and him taking snaps at running back this week is simply the tip of the iceberg.
Someone get the man a jugs machine and let him get to work.