Jaguars Safety J.R. Reed Aims to Prove His Mettle in NFL Following College Success

A Jim Thorpe Award finalist in 2019, J.R. Reed was a surprising undrafted free agent. Now, he aims to carve out a role with the Jaguars as a rookie with a chip on his shoulder.

When the dust settled following the 2020 NFL Draft, there were quite a few surprises as a result of what was the most surreal draft process in league history. 

One of the greatest surprises? The fact that Georgia safety J.R. Reed went all seven rounds without hearing his name called. 

During a three-year span where Georgia won 36 games and appeared in a National Championship, Reed was a constant force in the backend of a defensive-driven team. 

Reed transferred to Georgia from Tulsa in 2017 and grew into one of Georgia's most dependable players and leaders. Eventually, he found himself as a finalist for the 2019 Jim Thorpe Award, which is given annually to the nation's best defensive back. In his final season at Georgia, Reed recorded 54 tackles, two tackles for loss, one interception, seven pass deflections, one fumble recovery, and one forced fumble. 

“I didn’t know what we were getting,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said via The Telegraph. “He has turned out to be probably the best decision we’ve made from a standpoint of transfers.”

But, for whatever reason, Reed's phone never rang during the draft. Instead, he became an undrafted free agent and instead got the chance to choose his own path. 

The path he chose? Playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who Reed said he could tell were keen on his talents. 

"They just seemed like they were very interested in me and me as a player, and they seemed like they wanted me to come in there and provide for their team," Reed told JaguarReport this week. 

I’ve been here before. Never question my ability. History repeats itself. Let’s work @Jaguars !! #Duuuuval

— JR Reed (@Jr_Reed1) April 26, 2020

In Reed, the Jaguars may have potentially gotten the next player in a long line of undrafted success stories. While there is plenty of work ahead of Reed for him to earn a spot on the regular season roster, he could follow in the footsteps of Corey Grant, Tre Herndon, Allen Hurns, and Jarrod Wilson by making the Jaguars' roster as a rookie thanks to his skill set and the team's need for depth at safety. 

And while Reed works to learn the Jaguars' defensive scheme and carve out a role for himself as an undrafted free agent, he will continue to carry with him the impact of the surprising lack of a draft call.

"There's always -- I always have a chip on my shoulder. I always have been doubted, and underrated or whatever you want to call it," Reed said. "And you know, this definitely puts a bigger one -- an even more bigger one on my shoulder because I wasn't expecting this. And you know, we'll just see what happens and just keep working."

With Reed now officially a member of the Jaguars, he has undergone the early stages of a virtual rookie mini-camp. While Reed won't be able to show off the full range of his talents until players are actually allowed back on a field, the Jaguars should still be able to see what kind of player they now have in the young safety. 

"They are definitely getting a leader on and off the field and again, you know, great player -- one of the greats in Georgia history, one of the greats that have come through Georgia, did a lot of things for that team, made a lot of plays," Reed said. 

This isn't just Reed's own take, either. Reed was known as one of the leaders of Georgia's defense, especially in 2019, and his performance as the quarterback of the defense earned him high praise from his head coach.

“He’s a leader of one of the best defenses in the country, statistically, he’s the quarterback. He makes all the checks. He makes all the calls,” Smart said of Reed via SaturdayDownSouth. 

With Reed still having to settle into his role as an NFL rookie, he will at least have someone close to him who has helped him understand what kind of work is needed at the professional level. His father, Jake Reed, played wide receiver in the NFL from 1991-2002 and has influenced Reed's football journey. 

Growing up with an NFL veteran as a father, Reed got the right idea for what he would need to do on and off the field by an early age. Once Reed got to Georgia, and now to the NFL, he was able to use the lessons instilled to him by his father to help him flourish.

"He's a big influence. You know, he always taught me to be a pro, even when I was at a young age," Reed said. 

The draft processes for Reed and his father, who was a third-round selection by the Minnesota Vikings in 1991, could not have been much more different. Besides the generational gap, Reed had to deal with a derailed spring due to the COVID-19 outbreak, which canceled all pro days and prospect meetings with teams.

But his dad still had some advice for his NFL-bound son.

"Just enjoy it, you know. Not everyone gets to be in this position," Reed said. 

While Reed played college ball at Georgia, he is plenty familiar with Jacksonville. Reed was a major factor for the last three Florida-Georgia games. In fact, Reed never lost to the Gators in Jacksonville during his Bulldogs career. He has gone 3-0 in TIAA Bank Field in the past, and the hope is he can continue to rack up the wins moving forward. 

"I actually really like that stadium," Reed laughed. "I always seem to have pretty decent game up there and I haven't lost in that stadium at all."

Reed credits Smart and former Georgia defensive coordinator Mel Tucker for helping put him in the position he is in today. They coached him hard, but they also saw the potential in him and helped him become the player and leader he is today. He transferred to Georgia to play in big-time games, win championships, and create a better future for himself, and the last three years helped him accomplish all of that.

Now, Reed will attempt to prove to the Jaguars' staff the same things he proved to Smart and Tucker over the last several years. 

"I'm always ready to learn," Reed said. "I always think each year there is room you can get better, no matter how long you've been playing, and I'm just ready to go in there and work and learn to become the best player I can be.