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SBNATION - APRIL 3RD 2013

Jordan Reed, Florida

Now, if you follow the draft, you've surely heard of Reed. He's very commonly compared to Aaron Hernandez because they're similar in size, both hail from Connecticut and both are Florida Gators.

Reed collected 45 catches for 559 yards and 3 touchdowns in the 2012 season, and finished with a respectable 12.4 yards per reception. Possibly of note is that in his freshman season (2010) he played part time at the quarterback position, throwing for 252 yards and three touchdowns and rushing 77 times for 328 yards and 5 TD (4.3 ypc) in Florida's spread option offense. He made the switch to TE the next season as Charlie Weis took over, and while his numbers haven't been eye-popping, he obviously feels comfortable with the ball in his hands. He did lead the Gators in receiving this past season.

Combine measureables: 236 - 33.50" arms, 10" hands, 4.72 40, 1.63 10-yard split, 16 on bench.

Reed's combine numbers were disappointing. He came in sub-6'3, and ran north of 4.7 - two bench marks for 'move' tight ends that you'd typically look for. Nonetheless, I am still quite high on Reed's prospects in the pros, and he's one case for the thought that 'game-speed' and 'track-speed' are completely different things.

Reed's after the catch burst and power running the football makes you forget pretty quickly that he ran a 'slow' time in the 40. See below:

Reed demonstrates an ability to evade tacklers and his lateral juke move is impressive. The comparisons to Aaron Hernandez don't just end at the obvious - he even seems to move like the Patriots' star TE and demonstrates that open field spacial awareness that makes Hernandez so dangerous - he gets open, finds a soft spot, and can run after the catch. He has soft hands as well.

As you'll see, in-line blocking isn't necessarily Reed's strong suit. He can be relied upon at times to down block or even step out against a DE to help seal a lane, but he'll often lunge for a defender and get swiped away or miss altogether. He's not the type of tight end that you want lining up against a defensive end in pass protection one-on-one, so you have to use him intelligently within your scheme. If you're using him to protect your quarterback against an NFL speed rusher, you're missing the point.

The idea is, of course, to get the ball in his hands in space, and let him utilize his size and speed to become a matchup nightmare for opposing defensive coordinators. He's still raw and has only played the tight end position for two seasons.

I like Reed as a perfect example of the hybridization of players because he's a converted quarterback that looks like receiver, plays tight end, and runs like a running back.

The bottom line with Reed is that while he may not have the upside of an Aaron Hernandez, in the right system, a savvy coordinator can use him in a myriad of ways - a true joker. Line him up in-line if the defense counters with a nickel or dime look and let him block away from the play or downfield. Line him up in the slot against a linebacker. Line him up on the wing against a safety. His athleticism with the ball in his hands allows you use him as an outlet option or hot read against the blitz, or you can even use him on screens.

LINK TO STORY

The above was a pre-draft profile of Jordan Reed, thought it was interesting -- and spot on. Crazy to think his combine numbers were a knock on his projections, 4.7 speed, but clearly those numbers haven't prevented him from being a top 3 TE in our league. Good pick Shanahan!