Addressing the wide receiver group was an absolute must for the Chargers. Even though they had Keenan Allen and Mike Williams who flourished last season, there was no one else that stepped up and produced.
Travis Benjamin struggled when he was on the field and he had injury issues. The one thing that Benjamin offered that others didn’t have at the position was speed.
The selection of Reed brings the much-needed speed to the position. He is great vertically and dynamic after the catch, showing the ability to turn short gains into big ones. At 6-foot and 224 pounds, Reed uses his size to box out defenders and pull in any ball thrown, displaying his strong hands.
His lack of route savvy and separation skills holds him back from being a complete receiver, but he offers a lot of value as a returner and in yards after the catch situations.
According to The Athletic’s Daniel Popper, the Chargers have told him he’ll play wide receiver, line up in the backfield, return kicks and punts. Reed will push Andre Patton and Darius Jennings for snaps at No. 3 unless the team views him as a gadget type of player.
Joe Reed had 25 red zone targets, 3rd most among draft-eligible WRs
18 catches
5 TDs pic.twitter.com/Wf5PTwKsMx— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) April 25, 2020
Joe Reed never dropped a deep pass (20+ yards) in his career at Virginia. pic.twitter.com/q54yon4Sv1
— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) April 25, 2020