Few NFL prospects have improved their draft stock in the months leading up to Thursday’s draft more than Brooks Reed.

The former Arizona defensive end stood out at the Senior Bowl, racked up impressive numbers at the NFL Combine and backed those numbers up in front of the six teams that have worked him out.

Thanks to his offseason performance, Reed is projected as a late first-round pick, which is far better than the “”fifth to seventh round”” projections he was hearing after wrapping up his senior year as a Wildcat.

“”When you perform well at a combine or Senior Bowl or pro day or private workouts, teams will always go back and look at more film,”” Reed said. “”That’s really helped me.

“”I think my film is a lot better than what my stats show on a piece of paper.””

That’s not to say Reed’s accolades at Arizona weren’t impressive: 114 career tackles, 17 career sacks and 2010 first-team All-Pacific 10 Conference honors. But Reed is impressing teams with his speed, motor and projection as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.

“”I’m going to be basically doing the same thing,”” Reed said. “”Three-four outside linebackers are paid to rush the quarterback and that’s something that I think I do well. You also have to cover a little bit, but I don’t think that’s anything too challenging or something I couldn’t do.””

Q&A

Reed on being mentioned as a first-round pick: “”It’s pretty cool. Compared to what I was thinking or what I was told right after the season, maybe a fifth to seventh round guy. As time progressed, at the combine and pro day, Senior Bowl, I started hearing more good things. Now, lately, I’ve heard late first round, but you know that’s all the media’s perception.””

Reed on comparisons to Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews: “”I’ve heard quite a few of those. It is a possibility we might play the same position. We kind of have similar body types and similar athleticism. He’s on kind of an elite level, but I’m trying to make that transition to where he’s at and hopefully have that success that he’s had.””

Reed on his plans for the draft: “”I plan on staying in Tucson with the family. My brother’s coming down, my grandma’s coming down from Nebraska. I’ll just be with the family.””

Reed on how he’ll react when his name is called: “”I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’ll try and stay calm and collected. I’m not really emotional.””

Reed on if he ever thought he would be a first-round pick when he came to Arizona: “”I’d say that’s pretty far-stretched. But that was the goal since I got to college, to be with the best and play with the best competition there is. I don’t know if I would have thought first round.””