The Jacksonville Jaguars have waived former Georgia Bulldogs safety J.R. Reed.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have waived former Georgia Bulldogs safety J.R. Reed. Reed was quite a productive player for the University of Georgia, but went undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft. Now, he’ll look to stick with the Jaguars practice squad or sign elsewhere.
J.R.’s father, Jake, played in the NFL. It is a tough year for unproven players to make a roster. With the lack of preseason games, shortened training camp, and unusual protocols, it is even more challenging than most seasons to make the roster as an undrafted player.
J.R. was a playmaker in Athens, but there were concerns about his athletic profile heading into the NFL Draft. Reed has impressive instincts and deserves another opportunity. We’ll update you on what is next for Reed.
Here’s the full list of Jacksonville’s roster moves today, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter:
ATHENS, GEORGIA – SEPTEMBER 21: J.R. Reed of the Georgia Bulldogs celebrates a 23-17 win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Reed was a playmaking defensive back for the Dawgs last season. He elected to return for his senior season and did not disappoint.
Reed was a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Award, awarded to the top defensive player in the country, during his 2019 campaign. Reed defended seven passes last season and intercepted a pass against Notre Dame. He forced seven turnovers over his career in Athens.
Reed will be playing at the next level in the NFL despite going undrafteed. He’ll be a priority free agent for NFL teams.
He has excellent anticipation and helped Georgia make three straight SEC Championships. During his senior season the Georgia Bulldogs had the best scoring defense in the NCAA.
Before the NFL Draft, Reed has been compared to a Dallas Cowboys safety. Reed is NFL-ready and is fully capable of starting. He’s a little older than most prospects, but his experience and solid fundamentals should help him adapt to the speed of the game in the NFL. Reed will be extremely motivated to prove his doubters wrong.
Sep 21, 2019; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs defensive back J.R. Reed reacts with head coach Kirby Smart reacts after intercepting a pass against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Georgia Bulldog great J.R. Reed has received his NFL.com player comparison ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft
Georgia Bulldog great J.R. Reed has received his NFL.com player comparison ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft. Reed returned to Athens for his senior season and had a massive season for the Dawgs. Reed recorded 54 tackles, secured a key interception versus Notre Dame, and broke up seven passes in 2019.
Reed had a good NFL Combine and will hope to be drafted into an excellent situation in the NFL. He has the talent to play right out of the gate, but could end up as a back up if a team has good starting safeties.
With Reed’s play recognition and sound coverage, don’t discount the odds of him starting as a rookie. Reed overcame the odds to make it to the University of Georgia after gray-shirting and then playing sparingly as a back-up at Tulsa. Reed transferred to Kirby Smart and UGA following one season at Tulsa.
The rest is history. Reed helped lead Georgia to three straight SEC title game appearances and a National Championship Game appearance. Reed was a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Award during his 2019 campaign.
Now, Reed is being compared to Dallas Cowboys safety Xavier Woods:
Nov 4, 2019; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Dallas Cowboys safety Xavier Woods (25) runs with the ball after an interception against the New York Giants during the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Woods, who went to school at Louisiana Tech, was drafted in the sixth round by the Dallas Cowboys. Woods, like Reed, relies more on his mental attributes than his physical traits. While both players aren’t bad athletes, neither is ‘elite’.
Woods is entering his fourth season in the NFL. He’s intercepted five passes for the Cowboys and started at safety this past season. Not a bad comparison for Reed. Over three seasons Woods has forced eight turnovers in the NFL. J.R. Reed forced seven in three seasons in Athens.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
