STRENGTHS
Jake Rashaan Reed is an athletic Defensive Back who can be an impact player for your defense. He is quick to support the run with the size and strength to shed blocks and has the coverage skills to defend any size receiver in the slot. He is smart and has the size, speed, and quickness to play up near the line of scrimmage, or as a single deep free safety running from sideline to sideline. JR is a ball hawk with the hands of a wide receiver that makes it easy for him to intercept the ball. He shows leadership skills through his play on the field and has the High Football IQ to play in multiple styles of defenses in single coverage or zone.
CONCERNS
Jake’s tackling is pitiful. He is a penalty machine wanting to go into effect for the next level. He’s a head diver and if he doesn’t learn, not to lead with his head he mostly will be hurt or penalized for targeting.
BOTTOM LINE 2.67
Why do they call the position “Safety”? Because it’s the last line of defense and that last line requires a player who is an effective and secure tackler. Jake is not a secure tackler and if he doesn’t become a better tackler I don’t care how athletic and fearless he is, he is useless playing on defense. JR has excellent hands, maybe he should think about changing to the other side of the ball and being a receiver. If not, he better learn how to stop diving headfirst into a player to take them down because I don’t know about you but for me, that just doesn’t do it. Jake would be considered as first-round talent or certainly one of the best Defensive Backs in this draft if he was a better and more secure tackler. It’s really that simple and it’s really what’s holding him back from being selected early in this draft.
