The Green Bay Packers stuck to their strategy by not taking a wide receiver in the first round. They selected Jayden Reed out of Michigan State with the 50th overall pick in the second round.
Some analysts were surprised by the second-round selection as other wide receivers that would have fit well with Green Bay were still left on the board.
The Scouting Report on Jayden Reed
The 23-year-old Michigan State standout had a very productive college career. In 2018 Reed had 797 yards and eight touchdowns before transferring to Michigan State. At Michigan State, he played for three years and had 144 receptions for 2069 yards and 18 touchdowns.
In 2018 Reed was Freshman All-American and set a Western Michigan State record with a 93-yard punt return. In 2021 he was Second Team All-Big Ten for punt returns. In 2022 he received Second Team All-Big Ten honors.
At the NFL Combine, Reed ran a 4.45 forty-yard dash. At 5-foot-11 and 187 pounds, he isn’t the Green Bay Packers prototypical player they usually target at the position.
His combine does not stand out as a freak athlete as we saw with Christian Watsons last year, but Reed brings an unmatched competitive edge. Michigan States Coach Mel Tucker mentioned that Reed was a “hyper-competitive guy that practices very hard.”
How will he fit with the Green Bay Packers?
In college, Jayden Reed lined up inside and out. As a rookie, he has a real chance to be the Packers starter in the slot.
During OTA’s, Reed ran with the starting offense as the starting slot WR, but he gives the Packers flexibility to play the outside as well. At 5-foot-11, he doesn’t seem like your prototypical boundary receiver, but he plays bigger than his size. He gives Green Bay options of rotating him anywhere in the offense because of his positional flexibility.
Reed can contribute in many ways with the offense, but he also has the chance to make an instant contribution on special teams. As good as Keisean Nixon was for Green Bay last year at returning kicks, Reed has the opportunity to get the starting role for punt returns and give him a breather, considering he’ll be the starting slot corner in 2023.
Final Thoughts on Green Bay Packers WR Jayden Reed
Initially, the pick surprised a lot of people. The more you look at the tape and understand the value he can bring to the Green Bay Packers offense and special teams, the selection is beginning to make sense.
Reed has all the opportunity in the world with an unproven offense and has the potential to be an incredibly useful player. Whether his impact comes from returning punts or catching passes in the slot, his value and playmaking ability should be immediately felt in year one.
Loyalty and Pragmatism: The Approach of Green Bay Packers GM Brian Gutekunst to Draft Picks
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