Joe Reed Overview
Position: Wide Receiver
Height: 6’-0”
Weight: 224 pounds
School: Virginia
NFL Combine Performance Data
40 Yard Dash: 4.47 seconds
Bench Press: 21 reps
Vertical Jump: 38.0”
Broad Jump: 123.0”
Joe Reed 2020 NFL Draft Profile
After four years at Virginia, wide receiver Joe Reed looks to take his talents to the NFL level. The 6’-0”, 224-pound receiver is coming off what is easily the best statistical season of his career. Finally serving as the primary option in the passing attack, Reed ended his season with 78 receptions on 110 targets for 683 yards and seven touchdowns. It’s worth noting that his production could have been improved with a better quarterback situation.
Reed initially entered the collegiate ranks as a three-star recruit. After playing running back and wide receiver in high school, Reed converted to a full-time receiver once in college. After spending the majority of his true freshman season on the bench, Reed played a complementary role in 2017. During his sophomore season, Reed recorded 23 receptions for 244 yards and two touchdowns. One year later, he recorded 25 receptions for 465 yards and seven touchdowns.
Strengths
- Dangerous threat after the catch when schemed into space;
- Has the speed and overall athleticism to make it in the NFL;
- Primarily a slot guy, but can line up wide when required;
- Poor quarterbacking artificially deflated his stats;
- Impressive body control when adjusting to off-target passes;
- Runs a mean hitch route and could be dangerous on option routes;
- Soft, reliable hands;
- Can make an immediate impact as a kick returner;
Weaknesses
- Most of his routes are pretty bland;
- Gets outmuscled more than you’d expect from someone of his size;
- Doesn’t make plays down the field;
- Struggles to track the ball when in the air;
- Loses speed coming out of sharp breaks;
- Gets knocked off his route a little too easily.
NFL Comparison: Anthony Miller
Teams With Need at Position: Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles
Projection: Round 5
Bottom Line on Joe Reed
Joe Reed is an overlooked slot weapon that might need some time before he’s ready to consistently contribute at the NFL level. However, he does have the tools to make you believe he can figure it out some day. He runs a few routes really well, although he definitely needs to work on expanding his overall tree. He’s definitely an NFL-caliber athlete, rarely drops anything, and would have had much better collegiate production if his quarterback wasn’t awful. Reed has a history of returning kicks, and that dangerous element is on display every time he gets the ball in his hands.
Reed might be able to contribute in a gimmick way out of the gate, but he’ll need some time to truly refine his game. He definitely needs to work on improving his overall route tree, and it’s worth noting his athletic testing numbers suggest he can improve in this regard. This biggest issue is his inability to track the ball downfield, and it’s hard to see that getting better at the next level. Reed’s best-case scenario is probably taking the Julian Edelman route of starting on special teams and spending the early portion of his career learning the nuances of the receiver position.
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
