'He's a Stud Now': Jerrick Reed II Ready to Write Own Underdog Story in Seahawks' Secondary
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RENTON, Wash. - Accustomed to being overlooked and undervalued throughout his football career to this point, Seattle Seahawks sixth-round pick Jerrick Reed relishes defying outside expectations.
Taking an arduous path to the Emerald City that included pitstops in tiny Senatobia, Mississippi as well as Albuquerque, New Mexico, the 5'10, 196-pound Reed needs not be reminded what experts have said about his lack of size or football skills over the years. Confident in his abilities, he sports a permanent boulder on his shoulder, a quality that endeared him to his new team and could already been seen on display flying all over the field at Seattle's annual rookie minicamp this weekend.
“It’s been a dream come true," Reed told reporters after Saturday's session. "You work your whole life playing this sport, being in this field, to be a part of this organization and be in this league to show off your talents, show off your hard work and the blood, sweat and tears you put into it. Just being here and being blessed enough to be drafted by this organization and being out here to show off my skills meant a lot. I put my all into it."
Long before reporting to Seattle to begin the next stage of his career, Reed somehow didn't receive a single Division I scholarship offer despite earning First-Team All-State honors at Olive Branch High School. Forced to take the JUCO route, he enrolled at Northwest Mississippi Community College and dominated in his lone season with the program, taking his talents to New Mexico the following season.
Starting four years while playing both safety spots and nickel cornerback for the Lobos, Reed received All-MWC honors twice, thriving in their 3-3-5 defensive scheme that demanded positional versatility. Eclipsing 88 tackles in each of his final two collegiate seasons and posting a career-high 10 pass breakups in 2022, as he did in high school, he had the production as a run and pass defender to warrant NFL interest heading towards the draft.
But Reed still remained under the radar before a scintillating pro day workout in March where he ran a sub-4.45 40-yard dash and posted a 38-inch vertical jump. That athleticism and explosiveness coupled with his well-rounded skill set as a do-it-all defensive back sparked plenty of interest from teams, including the Seahawks, who promptly booked him for a top-30 official visit.
After impressing coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider, who jokingly called him an "angry elf" describing his playing style, Seattle didn't risk missing out on Reed as a priority free agent target and selected him with the 198th overall pick to ensure he would bring his talents to the Pacific Northwest.
Only a little over a month later, Reed couldn't be happier to be with an organization that showed legitimate interest in him throughout the pre-draft process. And, as he has done at every level along the way, he's ready to put everything on the line rewarding the Seahawks for taking a chance on him.
"The route I took built me for where I'm at right now. I'm just going to keep on going," Reed remarked. "I was a late-round draft pick, I wasn't a first-round guy, I wasn't a second round guy. I have to work myself up the totem pole. That comes from special teams to rotating [on defense] to being where I want to be at. The whole route I took built me to be a tougher guy and I've faced a lot of adversity, so not too much can drag me down."
If there's an ideal landing spot for a late-round pick featuring Reed's athleticism, play-making ability, and positional flexibility, the Seahawks have had as much success as any franchise at drafting, acquiring, and developing secondary players under the tutelage of Carroll and his staff.
Back in 2019, Seattle stole ball-hawking safety Quandre Diggs from Detroit, trading only a fifth-round pick to acquire his services before the trade deadline. Since relocating to the Pacific Northwest, he has earned three consecutive Pro Bowl selections while picking off 17 passes, including four last season after successfully coming back from a fractured ankle suffered in the final game in 2021.
A former sixth-round pick himself who had prior experience playing outside cornerback at Texas, Reed said that Diggs texted him a few hours after the Seahawks drafted him. Interestingly, those two as well as cornerback Tariq Woolen and safety Jamal Adams all share the same defensive back coach - Clay Mack - back in Texas, creating an instant connection for the group.
Seeing the success Diggs has had since coming to Seattle as well as Woolen, who made the Pro Bowl as a rookie after being selected in the fifth-round only a year ago, Reed hopes to learn from both of them as he aims to become the next unheralded late-round player to find success with the organization. Whether on special teams or as a sub-package defender at safety or slot cornerback, he will be looking to make an impact any way he can and justify his place in the league.
While he will have a tough task on his hands earning snaps from the outset in a crowded secondary, Reed has already beaten tougher odds to simply get to the NFL and embraces the underdog tag. Seeing him in action on the practice field for the first time, Carroll already likes what he sees, identifying the physical makeup and mentality for him to contribute early and defy external expectations once again.
“He's a stud now. He's really built, he’s really quick. I needed to see him in person to see how he can play as physical a style as he has. He's a stud now. He's fast as hell and made a first impression that was good today."
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