Overview
Position: Defensive Line
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 307 pounds
School: Alabama Crimson Tide
Jarran Reed 2016 NFL Draft Profile
Combine Performance Data
40 Yard Dash: 5.21 seconds
Vertical Jump: 31 inches
3 Cone Drill: 7.77 seconds
20 Yard Shuttle: 4.75 seconds
Jarran Reed may have got his draft stock up to a potential first round pick, but the Goldsboro, North Carolina native found a somewhat unique path to the draft. Reed came out of high school as a linebacker who was probably too big or too slow to play Division I football. Coming from a small town, and not having any hype, Reed did not see one Division I scholarship offer in his senior year of high school in 2011.
Reed was determined to prove that he could play, and he bet on himself by choosing Hargrave Military College over any Division II school that was interested in him. At Hargrave he finally moved to the defensive line, and it proved to be the best decision of his life. Reed flourished in the new role and began to get attention from a few Division I schools. However, due to the type of school that Hargrave was, he was ruled ineligible to play Division I football in 2012.
In 2012 the six-foot-three defensive lineman moved on to East Mississippi Community College in a small suburb in eastern Mississippi. The move took him a step closer to being NCAA eligible, and gave him an opportunity to prove himself against more quality opponents. In 2012 Reed took off and he began receiving interest from just about every school on the east coast. In the winter of 2013 Reed decided he was going to take his talents to the University of Florida. Unfortunately for Reed, after committing to Florida, he learned he still did not have enough credits from only one year of community college to move up to Division I. In 2013 he went back to EMCC, got his credits in order, and saw a change of heart from Florida. Reed still had plenty of suitors and by the end of 2013 was committed to and accepted to play at the University of Alabama.
In 2014, what was considered as his junior year of college, Reed immediately made an impact for the Crimson Tide. He played in all 13 games, recorded 54 tackles (6.5 for loss) and a sack. Those numbers were enough to earn him an honorable mention on the 2014 ALL-SEC team.
Strengths
- Has strength and is able to establish his position
- Lower body strength
- Can usually beat his first defender and draws a lot of double teams
- Strong against the run
- Good awareness and is able to find the ball
Weaknesses
- Lack of pass rushing moves (two sacks in two years)
- Not much lateral quickness
- Basically a one trick pony as a guy who takes up space and defends the run
NFL Comparison: Jonathan Babineaux
Teams with Need at Position: Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, Oakland Raiders
Projection: Mid First to Early Second Round
Bottom Line
A lot of teams will be interested in Jarran Reed. He had a 2014 DUI that may cause a few teams to leave him off of their draft boards, but he brings a skill set that is needed in the league. Run defense will always be a need, and Reed can play nose tackle in either a 3-4 or a 4-3 look. He doesn’t have the highest upside, but his down side is extremely low as he already looks like an NFL lineman. With a known skill set that should translate to the NFL, and the size and strength to make an impact right away, and maintain it for years to come, there is a lot to like about Reed and it should be no surprise if he is drafted in the first round.
Main Photo
