Former San Francisco 49ers Starter Tabbed Jets' Most Underrated Player

The New York Jets have gotten top-tier production from their cornerbacks' room, especially from a veteran who played his first four pro seasons in the NFC West.

Dec 24, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Washington Commanders wide receiver Kazmeir Allen (10) can t hold on to the ball in the end zone in the second half but New York Jets cornerback D.J. Reed (4) was called for interference at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports / Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

It's somewhat understandable considering his New York Jets' tenure began at the same time as the highly-touted Sauce Gardner.

Cornerback D.J. Reed's free-agent signing was instantly overshadowed when the Jets selected Gardner at No. 4 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, and Reed has seemingly played second fiddle to New York's franchise CB1 ever since. While Gardner has captured back-to-back All-Pro First Team selections, Reed has accounted for top-level performance minus the accolades.

When it comes to "underrated" producers, Reed will likely appear on most lists, as is the case with the latest collection of analysis from Pro Football Focus. Amidst OTAs unfolding around the league, PFF identified the top underrated player on each of the NFL's 32 clubs.

The 27-year-old Reed, a former San Francisco 49ers' fifth-round selection, arrived in New York with prior experience of playing under Jets' fourth-year head coach Robert Saleh. The California-born cornerback spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons in San Francisco with Saleh serving as the defensive coordinator.

Then, following back-to-back seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, Reed joined the Jets as part of the 2022 free agent class. He has since started 32 games for New York, contributing to what was the NFL's third-ranked defense.

Reed has logged 21 passes defensed and forced two fumbles while playing nearly every defensive snap for Gang Green.

From PFF's Most underrated player on all 32 NFL teams:

"It is not easy to find an underrated Jet amid a roster with so many first-round picks and players who have been playing at a high level in recent seasons. Reed gets the nod because he has been overshadowed by Sauce Gardner over the past two seasons. His 3,690 snaps since 2020 rank eighth at the position, and his 85.3 overall grade is the sixth-best mark among cornerbacks."

As for Gardner, PFF recently named him the No. 2 overall player in the NFL under 25 years of age.

Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich suggests Reed and Gardner can become even more special during their third season playing opposite of one another.

"Absolutely, continuity, especially on the back end is so critical. These guys got to know each other strengths, their weaknesses, their shortcomings, their superpowers, their kryptonites, they got to know all that," said Ulbrich during an OTAs media availability in Florham Park. "The fact that we have some continuity, that we've had guys that have been here in the system for multiple years now, it's exciting to think where they could take it."