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Nikko Reed, born on March 3, 2003, in Oakland, California, played his high school ball at Moreau Catholic, where he earned three-star recruiting status, according to 247Sports. With offers from multiple large programs, Reed decided to commit to the Colorado Buffaloes for the 2021 season.
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Reed was an instant-impact player for the Buffaloes, recording an interception in his first season with the team, doing so in limited playing time. His sophomore year allowed him to see real playing time, recording two picks and a sack. Reed also returned kicks, giving fellow college teams a versatile prospect to go after if he were to transfer.
Reed would end up transferring to PAC-12 rival Oregon. He spent his last two years of college with the program, playing a large role in both seasons. He would see two interceptions in his senior year, coupled with 39 tackles, giving an intriguing skill set for his future, as he was heading into the 2025 NFL Draft.
NFL Scout, Lance Zierlein, described Reed as: “a bit undersized as a slot corner, which makes his competitiveness outside that much more impressive. He will play full-time as a slot as a pro, but bigger receivers will always have jump-ball advantages over him. He’s better from press-man coverage, where he can on-board and ride the route early on instead of being forced to mirror and match breaks from his pedal. There is no hesitation in his run support and he punches above his weight as a tackler. He profiles as a late-round pick or undrafted free agent but plays like someone who can make a roster.”
Chargers Nikko Reed, CB Oregon
The Los Angeles Chargers picked up Reed in undrafted free agency after the 2025 NFL Draft, with hopes of him moving more to the slot position, instead of the outside cornerback position he played in college.
Reed thoroughly impressed throughout training camp and in the preseason, essentially forcing the Chargers to keep him on the final 53-man roster. He showed that even with his size limitations and the doubt stemming from it, he can be effective on the inside and outside. Reed would see five games of action in 2025, playing on special teams and specific defensive formations.
2025 Season Stats
5 Games Played
1 Pass Deflection
2 Tackles
50 Defensive Snaps
26 Special Teams Snaps
Measurables
Mockdraftable page is unavailable for Nikko Reed. Below is his RAS Card.
Nikko Reed went undrafted as a CB in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 3.32 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 1845 out of 2761 CB from 1987 to 2025.
UDFA #Chargershttps://t.co/GO2iLup8E9pic.twitter.com/JVlcY1v4S7
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– RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 27, 2025
Contract Status
“Nikko Reed signed a 3 year, $2,980,000 contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, including $15,000 signing bonus, $40,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $993,333. In 2026, Reed will earn a base salary of $1,005,000, while carrying a cap hit of $1,010,000 and a dead cap value of $10,000.” – Spotrac
Nikko Reed’s 2026 Season Outlook
With the Chargers’ cornerback room being quite thin after the starters placed above Reed, it is seemingly a lock for Reed to once again make the final 53-man roster heading into the 2026 season. It is important for him to prove once more that he deserves it, as there are undrafted rookies looking to do the same thing Reed did the year prior.
Reed should be expected to see more snaps on defense, considering the loss of Benjamin St-Juste, a guy who played a large chunk of defensive snaps in 2025. With no direct replacement brought in for him, Reed is expected to shoulder some of that load.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/chargers/onsi as Chargers Roster Spotlights: Nikko Reed, the Most Surprising Undrafted Free Agent.
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This story was originally published July 20, 2026 at 9:00 AM.