RENTON — Don’t bother telling Nick Reed he’s too small to play defensive end.

He’s been hearing that forever.

“People said that in high school,” said Reed, a seventh-round draft pick out of Oregon who at 6-foot-2, 245 pounds is smaller than some NFL linebackers. “I’ve always been too small … Everyone always said I would get moved when I made the jump to college and then again when I moved up here to the NFL. I didn’t want to go to linebacker, I’m glad I stayed at end. I feel like I’m best suited there and I think I can do well there.”

Reed had 10 sacks as a senior in high school, but few thought a player his size could play defensive end in college. But in four years at Oregon, he recorded a school-record number of sacks and tackles for loss. Still, it was assumed Reed couldn’t play the position at the next level.

Yet there Reed was Saturday night, coming up with a sack and an interception in his first NFL preseason game.

“He’s still learning, but that’s what you look for in games, you try to see if guys can show a flash, and he made some nice plays,” said defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.

Reed knows that one solid preseason game won’t cement a spot on the team for him. He’s still fighting an uphill battle to make a roster that already has four ends penciled in: Patrick Kerney, Cory Redding, Lawrence Jackson and Darryl Tapp. But Reed’s ability to get to the quarterback in training camp and again on Saturday night gives him a fighting chance. He’ll also have to prove himself a valuable commodity on special teams.

So just how does an undersized end continue to be productive as the competition gets better?

“Hard work, knowledge, speed,” he said. “During the season I like to watch a lot of film, get a good idea of who I’m going against and their tendencies.”

Against San Diego, Reed’s ability to pick up tendencies told him to drop into coverage after initially rushing on a second-and-long play.

“That was more just feel than a call,” said Bradley. “He just felt it and got himself into the right place at the right time. He could have gotten starry eyed under the big lights and not performed very well, so that’s one check mark in his favor. He went in there in his first game and played fast and he just needs to continue to do that.”

And while his critics may be surprised to still see Nick Reed succeeding as a lineman, his coaches are not.

“I think we all saw a guy who was a playmaker in college, and he’s continued that here,” Seahawks coach Jim Mora said. “Every day in practice, Nick seems to do something that catches your eye. As we talked going into the game Saturday night — I was talking to my dad, as a matter of fact — I said, ‘Watch Nick Reed. I bet you that he does a couple good things.’ And he did. So, no, he hasn’t exceeded expectations. He keeps living up to them, though …

“He certainly is a guy that, I’m sure, all his life, he’s just overcome the odds. There’s no reason to think that he can’t keep doing that. He’s done it so far.”

Jones exits early

Walter Jones returned to practice last Thursday after missing almost all of the first two weeks of training camp, but he departed Monday’s practice early with an apparent back injury. Jones, who is coming back from knee surgery, didn’t practice for the first two weeks of August, missing 17 practices because of back spasms, and about half-way through Monday’s practice, he appeared to stiffen up and had to call it a day.

Mora said that he did not yet know the specific reason for Jones’ departure when he met with reporters after practice.

Line shuffle

Offensive coordinator Greg Knapp and line coach Mike Solari have been trying a number of different line combinations trying to figure out its top five linemen, while also battling injuries along the way.

Monday’s practice saw Sean Locklear, usually a tackle, line up at right guard instead while Jones was on the field, with Ray Willis playing right tackle. Rob Sims was at his usually spot at left guard, and Max Unger got some work with the first-team line while Spencer was given part of practice off.

Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com. For more Seahawks coverage, check out the Seahawks blog at heraldnet.com/seahawksblog