VERMILLION, S.D.—South Dakota football players Jack Cochrane and Elijah Reed joined NFL teams upon conclusion of Saturday's NFL Draft. Cochrane signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Kansas City Chiefs while Reed accepted a minicamp invitation from the New York Jets. Both spoke with members of the media Monday.
 
"I think EJ and I both are looking forward to playing ball again," said Cochrane, who hails from Mount Vernon, Iowa. "Me and my agent felt this was a great situation for me. I had a really great relationship with the coaches – coach (Andy) Reid, coach (Steve) Spagnuolo, coach (Brendan) Daly – and just looking at the roster, it felt like it was a spot where I could go and compete and really push myself to get on a roster and do whatever the team needs me to do."
 
Cochrane garnered all-America and academic all-America honors this past season, his fifth with the Coyotes. He earned all-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors at middle linebacker for the second time and was fourth in the voting for MVFC Defensive Player of the Year. He finished his career by making 39 consecutive starts at linebacker and graduates as the program's sixth-leading tackler with 327 stops.
 
Reed is from Aurora, Colorado, is a two-year team captain for the Coyotes and an all-MVFC safety. He was the only player with four forced fumbles in Valley play this year. He started all 12 games and was the Coyotes' third-leading tackler with 77 stops. He competed in 47 games at South Dakota, recorded four interceptions and totaled 258 tackles.
 
"A couple of teams were talking to me leading into the draft, but the Jets and coach (Nathaniel) Willingham reached out to me and wanted to keep in touch throughout the draft," said Reed, who admitted his father grew up a Jets fan. "It worked out in the end and they had a minicamp open for me. I'm blessed."
 
Cochrane and Reed join three other Coyote alums on NFL teams. Offensive lineman Tom Compton is a 10-year veteran who signed with the Denver Broncos in March. Defensive lineman Kameron Cline has spent his first two seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. Quarterback Chris Streveler made his NFL debut with the Arizona Cardinals in 2020 and signed with the Miami Dolphins this past February.