Tag: 2020 nfl combine safeties

Watch: UGA’s JR Reed runs solid forty, does positional drills

JR Reed, a former Georgia Bulldog, had a solid NFL Combine to help his draft stock.

J.R. Reed helped lead the Georgia Bulldogs to having the top scoring defense in the nation in 2019. Now, Reed is preparing for the 2020 NFL Draft.

Reed, who is an older prospect, will have his work cut out for him. Reed’s athleticism has been questioned some. He was able to silence some of the doubters at the NFL Combine:

Reed shows flexible hips in this positional drill. Reed will have to prove to NFL teams that his football saavy and IQ will help him have an excellent NFL career despite being one of the older prospects in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Dec 1, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs defensive back J.R. Reed (20) intercepts the ball against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the third quarter in the SEC championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

J.R. Reed helped Georgia have elite defenses during his three seasons in Athens. He forced seven turnovers throughout his career and was considered one of college football’s top defenders in 2019. He’ll be tough to replace in 2020 for UGA, but he will be fun to watch in the NFL on Sundays.

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J.R. Reed on former Georgia football teammates invited to NFL Combine

In his final appearance before media members at the NFL Combine, J.R. Reed took time to acknowledge the impact of his Georgia teammates.

In his final appearance before media members at the NFL Scouting Combine, Georgia’s J.R. Reed took time to acknowledge the impact his Bulldog teammates imposed upon him.

“It’s amazing, man. I miss my defensive teammates. I think some of them need to be here.”

Georgia fans could argue that there are several spurned Bulldogs who deserved an invitation. One former letterman took to Twitter to protest Tyler Clark’s omission from the Combine’s list of participants.

Continuing his praise, Reed proceeded:

“Seeing my offensive guys and seeing the guys I came up with and played with for a while…seeing those guys go out there to do well and perform, man, it means a lot.”

As a do-it-all safety who had to defend against that offense in months’ worth of inter-team practices, Reed then fielded questions on his perception of the future of Georgia’s offense.

“We’re definitely gonna run the ball, I can tell you that. Now, everything else? I don’t know anything about that.”

Further denying any inside information, the projected draft pick answered again:

“I haven’t really been back [in Athens] to get into details about the offense, but I can tell you we’re going to run the ball.”

Watch the full exit interview:

Former Georgia football S J.R. Reed: “I can do it all”

J.R. Reed has the confidence you’d expect from a standout safety.

J.R. Reed has the confidence you’d expect from a standout safety.

In his exit interview at the NFL Scouting Combine, the recently departed Georgia Bulldog used his opening remarks to ensure that it cannot possibly be overstated:

J.R. Reed is versatile. J.R. Reed is willing to play anywhere to help his team. J.R. Reed is capable of shutting down his opponents’ best offensive player.

“I definitely can do it all. I can play the nickel spot, the money spot on third down, the free [safety] and the strong [safety]. If you want me to line up at Mack [inside linebacker] and we need to play quarter, I can do it all.”

Reed continued:

“I’m a safety that can come down in the box, I’m a safety that has range, I’m a safety that can go down and lock up your best tight end.”

Just to make sure coaches and media members got the message, Reed reiterated.

“From a safety standpoint, a DB standpoint, I can do it all.”

J.R. Reed, the son of NFL veteran Jake Reed, transferred to Georgia from the University of Tulsa in 2016. Previously rated as a two-star prospect, all he managed to do was start every regular season game in red and black and help win a Rose Bowl along the way.

Born with an NFL mentality unto an NFL family, Reed’s message is clear:

J.R. Reed is and always has been ready to do it all in the defensive backfield.

UGA’s JR Reed measures well, being disrespected in NFL Draft prep

Why is former Georgia Bulldog safety J.R. Reed being disrespected ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft?

Georgia Bulldog safety J.R. Reed is being disrespected throughout his preparation for the 2020 NFL Draft. Reed was invited to the NFL Combine, but he’s not receiving the hype most players would after his sensational college career.

Reed forced seven turnovers throughout his time in Athens while being a key piece in several elite defenses. Reed rarely surrendered big-plays. He racked up over fifty tackles in each of his three seasons finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and Bronko Nagurski. Reed proved to be a play-maker and a sure tackler.

Reed should put up solid numbers at the NFL Combine. He measured well ahead of positional drills and forty yard dashes:

So why is Reed being disrespected ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft?

The main reason he’s being over looked is his age. Reed is 24 and turns 25 before the NFL Draft. It’s hard to look past a player’s age with the NFL’s short shelf life, but Reed is an exception. At 25, Reed is not that much older than most players in the NFL Draft.

Reed is ready to play from day one in the NFL. His instincts and skill at safety is exactly what NFL teams are looking for in a prospect. NFL.com considers J.R. Reed to be a back-up, but fans should expect Reed to start immediately if he’s not drafted behind one of the NFL’s better safeties.

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