Of course. Here's the big thing- Reptile doesn't have 3-7s (or worse) MUs. He has two to perhaps four 4-6 MUs, which are all extremely winnable. JC goes 3-7 on a good day with Kabal and Kenshi, but it's more likely those MUs are 2-8 at the highest level. Reptile goes even with Kenshi, and is still extremely effective against KL with his low hitbox, dash, and space control with forceballs. Kabal is limited in his zoning by forceballs, and Reptile has a small hitbox which limits Kabal's rushdown options. Reptile is just so unsafe in the MUs, and has limited damage against KL's teleport. Still 4-6s though and KL may be a 5-5.
Jax is better in the corner than Reptile no doubt, but so is Sub Zero who is leagues behind his green pallet swap. Reptile can take up space across the screen and keep people out, while still having a move to cover a significant portion of the screen quickly to get in. Jax always has to respect dash and armored slide, and if Rep fucks it up, Jax doesn't hit hard enough for you to care. Smoke can't run from Reptile, and Reptile doesn't have Smoke's crippling match ups against the top 2 while still breaking even with Kenshi. Skarlet is all theory and no practice so she can go back to the middle school to show girls how to put in a tampon.
Kitana's edge is that she doesn't lose the Sonya MU, but she gets fucked the fuck up by Kenshi. And then Reptile beats her so he ends up edging her out. Cyrax and Freddy give everyone but the tippy top problems, and Reptile doesn't lose more than 4-6 to Freddy and may very well go even with Cyrax.
It's simple; Reptile has great footsies, decent rush down, phenomenal space control, and a sweet spot where he is untouchable, and a weird hit box. He loses to just a couple of the very top, but still stays very competitive with them, and goes even or wins with the rest of top 12, and beats everyone else besides SZ.