2023 2nd Round Pick #50 WR Jayden Reed

[Joemailman]

WR
Jayden Reed

5'11"
187 lbs
Michigan State

Pre-Draft Analysis
Reed's ability to beat press coverage, accelerate off the line and separate jumps out on tape. He's a reliable pass-catcher with the body control to adjust to throws outside of his frame. His vision, ability to make crisp cuts and speed make him a threat after the catch and in the return game. Reed takes good angles and gives good effort as a downfield stalk blocker. -- Steve Muench

Post-Draft Analysis
Another pass-catcher for Green Bay on Day 2! Reed is an ideal slot receiver with explosive routes and yards-after-catch ability, so he can make an immediate impact. He'll slide right in alongside 2022 draftees Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs -- and fellow rookie Luke Musgrave -- to form a very young, promising pass-catcher corps for Jordan Love. -- Matt Miller

[red]

could be a very exciting player

[Joemailman]

[RashanGary]

Packers said they clocked him at 4.37. So he’s fast. They say he’s strong and tough and plays bigger. Good yac. Can play inside. Compliments Watson and Rome. I’m thinking complimenting Watson and Romeo means slot.

[Joemailman]

What we’re hearing about Reed: ESPN’s Todd McShay said he gave Reed a second-round grade right after the Senior Bowl and never budged on that: “There will be a handful of [receivers] taken ahead of him on Friday night that he will wind up out-performing in the near future.” Shortly after the pick, Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan said Reed “complements Christian and Romeo really well [because] he’s versatile enough to play inside and out.”

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[Joemailman]

Jon-Eric Sullivan, Packers vice president of player personnel: He’s strong and he’s fast, if you just want to simplify it. He’s got exceptional strength for a smaller-framed player, and then he can run. He’s got good tempo. The clock showed it. I believe we had him at 4.37. More importantly, he plays fast. He’s got good tempo and he’s quick. He can get in and out of breaks. Obviously, outside the numbers, the speed comes into play but inside, he’s strong and he can get in and out of breaks, which is going to help him create some separation.


NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah in a conference call: Reed is a really good player. My buddy (Senior Bowl executive director) Jim Nagy is making it his personal campaign to make sure that he does not get overlooked through this process. Jim has seen a lot of him, and he is a big fan. He is a good player. I put him in the third=round range. The punt return, kick return background shows up. He is quick. He can make people miss. He gets separation. He is really tough. He is an outstanding blocker. He is a really good player. Jim has been advocating for him to go in the second round. I wouldn’t be shocked if he did.


The Athletic’s Dane Brugler: Reed has outstanding foot quickness and skillfully throttles his route speed to separate from coverage. Despite dropping too many easy ones, his focus is heightened on contested windows, and he shows a knack for timing his leaps and snatching the football off the helmets of defensive backs. His speed, route tempo and downfield ball skills are the ingredients of a potential NFL playmaker.

The 33rd Team: Reed is a speedy receiver who can play both inside and outside. He shows over-the-top speed to make big plays down the field. He also has good quickness, route-running ability and coverage awareness to be an effective option on shorter routes and over the middle of the field. He had far too many drops with 20 total throughout his college career. Overall, he has speed that will allow him to be a productive player at the next level but needs to improve his hands and ability to win vs. press coverage.


Athlon: Quick-footed early in the route with the speed to threaten the top of a defense, Reed was one of the most dangerous deep threats in the Big Ten the past two seasons. When he gets a clean release, he's capable of winning early in the down and is dangerous as a catch-and-run threat, both elusive and, once in the open field, capable of running away from defenders.

Sports Info Solutions: Reed projects to be a solid role-playing receiver at the next level with his ability to line up in multiple spots in an offense. While he will mostly line up in the slot at the next level, he can survive on the outside due to his release ability. On third downs, he will be best used in the slot, but can also be used in motion to try and get him on the move to get the ball in his hands and create after the catch.


Pro Football Focus: Reed didn't have much help within Michigan State's passing attack, but he did all he could. He's a nuanced route runner who knows how to separate and has been doing it ever since he went for 797 yards as a freshman for Western Michigan in 2018.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Interestingly, I think the Senior Bowl guy, Jim Nagy, was a scout for the Packers at one point.

[bobblehead]

I'm dubbing this our honorary 3rd rounder. I like nothing about him. Hope I'm wrong. I just feel like everything that made him successful in college are traits that don't translate to the NFL.....especially for smaller guys.

[sharpe1027]

I think this kid is going to surprise some people. He's gonna make some big plays.

[call_me_ishmael]

I'm dubbing this our honorary 3rd rounder. I like nothing about him. Hope I'm wrong. I just feel like everything that made him successful in college are traits that don't translate to the NFL.....especially for smaller guys.

I agree

[King Friday]

As a slot receiver, I think this kid could find success. I’d much rather have Jaxon Smith Njigba, so Van Ness better turn into a fucking monster at rushing the passer.

[RashanGary]

With the ball in his hands he’s got good vision, patience with his blocks and contact balance when he’s hit. He definitely doesn’t go down easy for being 187lbs.

He’s fast. And down the field he’s got elite ability to adjust to the ball and get in winning position and then make the play. That’s a feel. Guys have it or they don’t. So he can be a threat down the field like Jennings.

He has a chance to be a good punt returner.

From the slot (where he projects with Watson and Doubs on the roster), you like the returner skill set because Lafleur likes the jet motion stuff. He does have concentration drops on short ones so that’s not ideal, but of all the kinds of drops you see, the one that seems most fixable are those easy concentration drops on short passes. Just focus on looking the ball in first and then move into your after catch game plan.


He’s fast. He’s tough to tackle after the catch. He’s great at adjustments, back shoulders and contested catches. He’s a really good fit for what we already have on the roster with the slot fit.

[run pMc]

I think he's boom or bust but for athletic/size reasons mostly. Maybe MLF can actually use a little guy.

As a player in general, he mixes up his speeds well and is a pretty good route runner coming out of college. Knows how to get separation and has quickness to do it. MSU WRs have to block to get on the field so he's not afraid to do that either.
He is very undersized for what GB likes but it's easier to be cat quick at 5'11 vs. 6'2". He's shifty but not smooth if that makes sense. His contested catch/jump ball ability is surprisingly good given his size. If you watch some of his games he's going against CBs taken around or before he was (Joey Porter Jr., Ty Stevenson, Quan Martin, etc.) and can hold his own. I think he's a smart player, there were times he adjusted well in the scramble drill or adjusted his routes to coverage.

Some thought he was the best PR in the class, not sure I agree but he can help there too which matters.

Seems like his speed is good enough, often was able to increase or maintain distance from chasing players on big plays. Had something like 46 plays of 20 yards or more in his career, so he can be a playmaker.
One last thing: seems like he's got some toughness or dog in him which I like. I think if he's a feisty slot guy with good quicks and speed he'll be a good compliment to what they have.

Would have liked him in R3 but I thought Kraft was good 'value' in R3 so you could basically flipflop them and call it a good set of picks.

[texaspackerbacker]

All the above posts, and not a word of comparison to Amari Rodgers? That was my first thought when I saw the size and 4.45 40 in the RAS for Reed. If he really runs a 4.37, maybe he's more explosive and better than Amari. I hope so. Supposedly he has a drop problem too. Now who else was it that ran a 4.37 and dropped a lot of passes? Oh yeah, MVS.

[MadtownPacker]

I'm dubbing this our honorary 3rd rounder. I like nothing about him. Hope I'm wrong. I just feel like everything that made him successful in college are traits that don't translate to the NFL.....especially for smaller guys.

You are good at being the reverse kiss of death with your forecasting. Homeboy has a chance now.

[MadtownPacker]

I think this kid is going to surprise some people. He's gonna make some big plays.

His highlights give that impression. He didnt appear to be moving fast but everyone around him was trying to catch up. Like he was seeing things slow motion.

At 0.42 sec he throws a better deep ball than erron did all last season.

[King Friday]

All the above posts, and not a word of comparison to Amari Rodgers? That was my first thought when I saw the size and 4.45 40 in the RAS for Reed. If he really runs a 4.37, maybe he's more explosive and better than Amari. I hope so. Supposedly he has a drop problem too. Now who else was it that ran a 4.37 and dropped a lot of passes? Oh yeah, MVS.

Because they aren’t even remotely comparable Tex. Reed is considerably taller and leaner, with far more explosive athleticism.

Amari was ridiculously slow because he was 5’9” and 210 pounds. He was built like a RB.

[texaspackerbacker]

Both under six feet and kinda slow based on the RAS. Hopefully, the 4.37 is accurate, not the 4.45. Also, hopefully he doesn't drop too many.

[HarveyWallbangers]

The Packers love Senior Bowl WRs. Watson, Doubs, Melton, and now Reed are all guys who played relatively well at the Senior Bowl.

[RashanGary]

Both under six feet and kinda slow based on the RAS. Hopefully, the 4.37 is accurate, not the 4.45. Also, hopefully he doesn't drop too many.

4.45 is fast, Tex.