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With the 85th pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, the Washington Redskins selected Jordan Reed. He went to the University of Florida as a quarterback, but eventually moved to tight end. He was recruited by Urban Meyer for his ability to play QB in a zone-read and spread offense.
When Meyer left, Will Muschamp took over and made Reed a pro-style tight end. While his blocking has always been a concern, his ability to stretch the field and catch the ball is his biggest strength. He caught 79 passes for 945 yards and six TDs in his college career. He also ran for five TDs and threw for three.
His experience as a QB in the spread offense will benefit him greatly playing for Washington. He will be able to acclimate himself well to playing with Robert Griffin III and knows how to adjust with a scrambling QB. He is also the No. 2 tight end which means his below-average blocking will be less of a concern and he won’t be the focal point of the opposing defense.
Last season, everyone was expecting Fred Davis to have a big year for the Redskins. Tight ends usually don’t get much attention from the opposing defense in a spread offense, but he was injured early on and Washington didn’t really have the personnel replace him. A young QBs best friend is a tight end that can be used to stretch the field, be a big target and also use a safety valve.
In Week 1, Reed had five catches on six targets and Davis had two catches on four targets. In Week 2, playing from behind, Reed had three catches on three targets and a TD while Davis only had one target for one catch and three yards.
Against a weak Detroit Lions defense, Reed will be targeted between 8-to-10 times and has a chance to have a top-10 game for all fantasy tight ends. He may not be worthy of a TE1 spot right now, but he should be looked at for flex positions in deeper leagues.
