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]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZhCz2IlINg

[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.”.

[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.

[Joemailman]

4.45 is fast, Tex.

Yep. Greg Jennings was 4.47. Reed's 4.45 was 16th out of 45 in 2023 who tested.

[RashanGary]

Yep. Greg Jennings was 4.47. Reed's 4.45 was 16th out of 45 in 2023 who tested.

Sometimes I just wanna wring that old farts neck :lol:

[RashanGary]

If you’re looking at guys who are 6’2” and 215, 4.5 is plenty fast. If I guy is a good player and that size, I always feel good about 4.5

[run pMc]

Jayden Reed and Amari Rodgers are very different receivers.

Reed is smaller and much quicker. I think they wanted Rodgers to be kind of a gadget/YAC guy and a Deebo clone, then he came in slimmer last year which probably didn't help his cause. Watch Amari's college highlights and then Reed's -- you'll see a difference.
I like Reed in R3 but getting him in R2 along with a couple of Day 3 picks is ok. There were three players taken after him in R2 that I liked better (Gervon Dexter, Rashee Rice, DJ Turner) but he's fills a nice complementary role in the offense and he can return punts right away. Amari was never the punt returner this guy is.

And yes, 4.45 is fast enough. MVS ran a 4.37.

Amari's RAS card: https://ras.football/ras-information/?PlayerID=19343
Jayden's : https://ras.football/ras-information/?PlayerID=17156

Reed's 10 yard split is considerably faster than Rodgers'. Would have liked to see better agility or explosion numbers from Reed. Slot WRs tend to have weird RAS scores.

[run pMc]

If you’re looking at guys who are 6’2” and 215, 4.5 is plenty fast. If I guy is a good player and that size, I always feel good about 4.5

Check out Davante Adam's RAS card: https://ras.football/ras-information/?PlayerID=11166
'Poor' speed (4.56 40), 'Okay' agility, 'Great' explosion, 'Good' size. Long arms.

[RashanGary]

Check out Davante Adam's RAS card: https://ras.football/ras-information/?PlayerID=11166
'Poor' speed (4.56 40), 'Okay' agility, 'Great' explosion, 'Good' size. Long arms.

Yeah, you want a guy to be athletic in other ways and have size. But if they have size like Jordy, Davante or Cooper Kupp, they don’t have to be as fast.

[run pMc]

Jerry Rice wasn't a burner, and he wasn't a big dude. You don't have to be an elite athlete to be a great player, but it sure helps.
A lot of picks are taken on traits or upside - I'll use Quentin Johnson as an example. He's a better athlete than football player right now with the belief that with time and coaching he'll become a good WR.

[RashanGary]

I read executives had Jerry Rice timed as well as 4.55. But in that era, there wasn’t as much training for running these drills. I suspect Rice was more like a 6’2 4.45 kind of guy if he prepared the way guys do now. Maybe even better. Jerry Rice was very fast. You could see it.

[Fritz]

You know, the more I learn, the more I think the Packers really kinda liked the guy - more than some whom we thought they would pick - and they also were confident he'd be around later, so they traded back twice, being sure he'd still be there.

Don't know if that was because Mingo was gone, or if they just liked this guy. But they clearly liked him better than that SMU (?) receiver they brought in - Rashee Rice, was his name? I think he was still available when they picked Reed.

[run pMc]

Rice went a few picks after Reed. Given the choice of the two I'd probably have leaned Rice but don't fault them for taking Reed. At a minimum Reed should be able to run some routes out of the slot, do some jet motion stuff, and return punts.
He's a far better PR than Amari ever was -- he housed 3 in college.

[Bretsky]

Thoughts on how reed and his route running compares to Greg Jennings ??

[Fritz]

Thoughts on how reed and his route running compares to Greg Jennings ??

We all seem to want to compare guys to Greg Jennings. In my opinion, Jennings was a very, very, very good receiver. I thought the Packer should've paid the guy, but Ted rarely did that. I'm not sure why he wouldn't re-up Jennings. The guy was really pretty incredible. Not as good as Davante Adams, but in my opinion, better than Driver or Jones or Antonio Freeman or maybe even Jordy Nelson.

[Joemailman]

I'm more inclined to think of Reed as a faster version of Randall Cobb. That's probably off too, but maybe a little closer. Few guys can run routes like Greg Jennings.

[Sparkey]

How he runs routes, etc reminds me of TY Hilton. Explosive runner that could stretch the seam and play inside or outside.

Checkout the Colts preview of receivers: https://coltswire.usatoday.com/lists/indianapolis-colts-nfl-combine-wide-receivers-to-watch-2023/

[Bretsky]

We all seem to want to compare guys to Greg Jennings. In my opinion, Jennings was a very, very, very good receiver. I thought the Packer should've paid the guy, but Ted rarely did that. I'm not sure why he wouldn't re-up Jennings. The guy was really pretty incredible. Not as good as Davante Adams, but in my opinion, better than Driver or Jones or Antonio Freeman or maybe even Jordy Nelson.


Agree Fritz; Jennings was a huge huge loss. He was the 3rd best route runner I have seen in Green Bay behind Sterling Sharpe and Devante Adams. He was way better than Driver, Jones, Freeman, and better than Jordy as well.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I'll take Jordy over Jennings. His career stats were better (despite being a sub for his first three years), and his peak was better.

Since I started watching, it goes like this for me:

Sharpe
Lofton
Adams
Jordy
Driver
Jennings
Freeman

Hutson is #1 with Dowler and Dale getting top 10 consideration, if you go back further.

[smuggler]

Jordy somewhat benefitted from timing of his peak aligning with the juggernaut O we had. Jennings' prime was finishing up, though not completely spent, by the time we became the 2011 offense.

[run pMc]

We all seem to want to compare guys to Greg Jennings. In my opinion, Jennings was a very, very, very good receiver. I thought the Packer should've paid the guy, but Ted rarely did that. I'm not sure why he wouldn't re-up Jennings. The guy was really pretty incredible. Not as good as Davante Adams, but in my opinion, better than Driver or Jones or Antonio Freeman or maybe even Jordy Nelson.

That was Ted, going with the better to let a guy go a year too early than a year too late. It's pretty risky signing a WR to a THIRD contract, as with RBs they don't always do so well after 30. His numbers for MIN bear that out, although he mostly bad QBs to deal with. If you're going to let a guy like that walk, you better start finding a replacement though.

Jordy was a little bit better than Jennings, but it's pretty close. Agree timing on the juggernaut O helped.
Also like Reed being comp'd to Cobb or Hilton better than to Jennings.

[RashanGary]

I'll take Jordy over Jennings. His career stats were better (despite being a sub for his first three years), and his peak was better.

Since I started watching, it goes like this for me:

Sharpe
Lofton
Adams
Jordy
Driver
Jennings
Freeman

Hutson is #1 with Dowler and Dale getting top 10 consideration, if you go back further.


I like Jennings ahead of Driver and really close, but very different than Nelson. I’d put those two on the same tier. Never saw Lofton other than a few highlights, but I’m not surprised.

[RashanGary]

Jordy, Driver, Jennings and Freeman can all be bunched into the same group.

[run pMc]

Driver was pretty amazing as a guy who was fearless and held up remarkably well over middle. Guys who play like he did usually don't stay as healthy as he did.
One of my favorite recent Packers.

Lofton was so so gifted. Really amazing WR on a lot of bad teams. Was fun when he got with Dickey, Jefferson, and Coffman.
Sharpe was like a power forward, but he could also run when he was younger. If not for the neck injury he'd be in the HOF. He was that good. I still remember that weird Nike "Choo-choo" commercial with Dennis Hopper lol. When Favre got here, he was to Favre what Davante (or Jordy) was to Rodgers. Helped to turn around GB's fortunes in the late 80's/early 90's.

It's crazy-early to put Reed with any of them, but I wouldn't complain if he turned into another Driver or Cobb.

[smuggler]

They had an extension offered to Jennings, which he didn't like. He was waiting for more when he had the groin/ hernia issue and the Packers' extension offer shrunk and then vanished.

The money he actually got from Minny was less than what GB initially offered. He bet on himself and lost. It happens sometimes.

[Jaire]

I haven't followed the draft this year much. Reed wasn't on my radar.

It was a bad WR class compared to recent really good ones.

[Joemailman]

I think Reed wasn't on a lot of peoples radar. But he had a great Senior Bowl week which raised his status with some, including the Packers obviously.

[Jaire]

Yeah. I just read about his Senior Bowl.

He's a second round GB WR. I wouldn't bet against him. Looks like a Jennings build at first glance.... (and not a slot: he's inside/ outside)

[Joemailman]

Agent who represented Reed being investigated for bribery.


ESPN's Brooke Pryor reports NFL agent David Canter is under investigation for contacting teams throughout the draft and offering the use of vacation properties if a team drafted one of his clients.
The NFLPA is leading the investigation into Canter, who represented 21 players in the 2023 draft class. Packers second-round WR Jayden Reed and Rams seventh-round DT Desjuan Johnson, the draft's Mr. Irrelevant, are both Canter clients. An NFL general manager confirmed to PFT he received an offer from Canter and knows "at least" two rival GMs who received similar offers. The Rams are likely to be at the center of the NFLPA's investigation, with the team drafting a Canter client on the last pick of the draft. GSE Worldwide has denied any wrongdoing and expects the situation to be resolved in the coming weeks.

[Fritz]

Agent who represented Reed being investigated for bribery.

Packer beat writers tried to contact Gutekunst to ask about this, but they were told Gutey’s vacationing at some vacay property right now…

[RashanGary]

Steve Smith Jr, one of the all time greats and literally the ONLY person in the world who had Cooper Kupp as the #1 WR in the draft a few years ago, had good things to say about Jaylen Reed.

Said he can tell he has a high football IQ, the way he attacks coverages. Said he loves the pick.

And when you think about the smaller guys who have succeeded in Green Bay, they’ve been smart guys! I like Smiths endorsement. Gives me more hope!

[smuggler]

Almost a masterstroke of a post, but he's a Senior, not a Junior.

[King Friday]

Jordy, Driver, Jennings and Freeman can all be bunched into the same group.

Freeman is a step down for me. Without Favre’s ungodly cannon, that guy would rarely have gotten the ball. He completely disappeared when he left Green Bay.

[run pMc]

Freeman was mostly washed up by the time he left and signed with Philly. Was a pretty good receiver at his peak, but agree not as good as Jordy, Driver, or Jennings.

[run pMc]

Steve Smith Jr, one of the all time greats and literally the ONLY person in the world who had Cooper Kupp as the #1 WR in the draft a few years ago, had good things to say about Jaylen Reed.

Said he can tell he has a high football IQ, the way he attacks coverages. Said he loves the pick.

And when you think about the smaller guys who have succeeded in Green Bay, they’ve been smart guys! I like Smiths endorsement. Gives me more hope!

Reed's size is a concern and combine numbers aren't alien, but he's still a good athlete. Watch his tape and his speed and quickness are legit. The size/catch radius might be an issue, but I think he's very competitive and has some shake at the LOS so I don't think CBs will be able to mug him all game. Plus I expect him to play mostly out of the slot so he'll have a good amount of 2-way goes and free releases. Seems like he's pretty smart about coverages and has some route running savvy. He's not on JSN's level as far as route running but he's not bad and he's a notch faster and better after the catch.

I'd rather have LVN and Reed than JSN and Keion White.

[Joemailman]

Reed's size is a concern and combine numbers aren't alien, but he's still a good athlete. Watch his tape and his speed and quickness are legit. The size/catch radius might be an issue, but I think he's very competitive and has some shake at the LOS so I don't think CBs will be able to mug him all game. Plus I expect him to play mostly out of the slot so he'll have a good amount of 2-way goes and free releases. Seems like he's pretty smart about coverages and has some route running savvy. He's not on JSN's level as far as route running but he's not bad and he's a notch faster and better after the catch.

I'd rather have LVN and Reed than JSN and Keion White.

Your description of Reed sounds a lot like a young Randall Cobb.

[run pMc]

Your description of Reed sounds a lot like a young Randall Cobb.

https://ras.football/ras-compare/?&p1=17156&p2=9575&pos=
https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/jayden-reed-1.html
https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/randall-cobb-1.html

I think Reed is a better athlete, but it might not be a bad comparison. A faster younger version of Cobb wouldn't be a bad addition to the offense. He was a lot of fun to watch early in his career, but he was never going to be a WR1.

[RashanGary]

Reed is a little more aggressive and dominate going after contested catches. Could be better than Cobb, never know.

[bobblehead]

Packer beat writers tried to contact Gutekunst to ask about this, but they were told Gutey’s vacationing at some vacay property right now…

He's at Rodgers house and doesn't get cell reception.