The Dream Killer’s initial Plan B, once he turned up at Nevada, was to become an orthopedic surgeon. For his first three years in college, Broncos rookie outside linebacker and August legend Malik Reed had majored in biology, keeping one eye on med school for as long as he could.
After Thursday night, the boards — and Plan B — can wait.
“That’s always the goal coming in as an undrafted free agent,” Reed said of the news that he’d made the 53-man roster following a 20-7 preseason-capping victory over Arizona. “You know you don’t have a spot, so you have to go out there and fight for everything that you want.”
Reed, a 6-foot-2, 235-pound battering ram out of Dothan, Ala., didn’t just fight for a spot on the regular-season roster — he earned it. No. 59 in your program went into the weekend tied for No. 1 in the NFL in preseason sacks (four), two of which came during a first-half shutout of the visiting Cardinals.
Even more salient: Those four takedowns were notched over just three appearances, as the rookie out of the Mountain West Conference was forced to miss the other two exhibitions because of an oblique issue.
“Anytime an undrafted college free agent comes in and makes your team and plays good, it’s nice to see,” Broncos coach Vic Fangio said of Reed. “And it is a surprise, no matter what anybody else will tell you. I’m happy for him, and happy for us.”
If you weren’t happy about the Broncos’ backup options for star edge-rushers Von Miller and Bradley Chubb with Shane Ray and Shaq Barrett no longer in the picture, No. 59 would like a word.
A quick word, too. Because these days, if you blink, you just might miss him.
In the second quarter, Reed showed how quickly he could shift gears in tight spaces. With 3:12 left in the half, he zipped past Arizona right tackle William Sweet with an outside shimmy to his left, then combined with Ahmad Gooden to sandwich quarterback Drew Anderson.
His first sack was probably even more impressive, particularly as a display of raw power. On 4th and 2 at the Denver 41 with 5:10 to go in the period, he drove Arizona lineman Parker Ehringer back a few steps with a bull rush. He then zagged inside to his right, promptly smothering Anderson’s predecessor, Brett Hundley.
And did we mention that Ehringer checks in at 6-6, 310 pounds?
“That’s why football is awesome,” safety Justin Simmons said of Reed. “It’s not always the biggest or the strongest — it’s the guy that just makes the plays. And he’s just one of those guys that just makes the plays.”
One of those guys who plays big — at least, bigger than he’s listed. A 6-2 frame. A 6-7 motor. And a 6-10 nickname, right out of the chute: Dream Killer.
Wait.
Dream Killer?
“Von and Chubb came up with it so we just kind of let it stick,” Simmons laughed. “Von said it’s because he crushes quarterback’s dreams.”
And, occasionally, spleens.
“It’s cool; I’ve never been called that before,” Reed chuckled Thursday night. “But to be dubbed that by Von Miller, I guess that’s pretty special.”
Especially for a guy who only started playing outside linebacker at the start of his senior season at Nevada, having grown up taking most of his collegiate — and prep — snaps at defensive end.
“I just try to take one day at a time, one step at a time, not get too far ahead,” Reed said. “Whether it’s a good day or a bad day, (I’ll) just continue to focus on what I’ve got to focus on and continue to get better.”
