"Whatever I can do to help the team win, I'm going to do it," rookie defensive back D.J. Reed told reporters via a conference call after the San Francisco 49ers made him a fifth-round draft pick.
"While he can play some nickel and free safety, we also think he can hold up at outside corner," general manager John Lynch said last week.
It sounds like Reed will be asked to do the former two and not the latter during the 49ers' offseason program. The defensive back confirmed on Friday that he would play both slot cornerback and free safety as the team kicks off its rookie minicamp. The 49ers will hold two practices with the first on Friday and the second on Saturday.
While playing cornerback at Kansas State, Reed did not allow a reception longer than 30 yards in 2017 and surrendered a passer rating of 55.5 when targeted by quarterbacks, according to Pro Football Focus.
"I'm a lockdown corner, first and foremost," Reed said last week. "I don't get scored on."
While Reed doesn't have the height that the 49ers often look for in defensive backs, he does have the wingspan with his nearly 32-inch arms.
"We talk a lot about profiles, and you know, not the profile fit in terms of his height," Lynch said. "Interesting thing about him, he's about 5-9 and a half, but he's got 32-inch arms, so he kind of makes up for that."
With Reed, the 49ers have the top two college returners from last season. San Francisco also drafted Washington wide receiver Dante Pettis, who ranked No. 1 and returned an FBS-record nine punts for touchdowns in his career.
Another player making a slight transition is Tarvarius Moore, who played safety during his two seasons with Southern Miss. Lynch confirmed last week that the 49ers would try him out at cornerback.
"We know he can play safety," Lynch said. "We're going to give it a go and see. It always helps the flexibility to help shape a roster. And so we're going to play him out there."
