Michigan State wideout Jayden Reed gets birthday wish; Green Bay drafts him in second round

For the second straight year, Michigan State has had a wide receiver selected in the NFL Draft.  The Green Bay Packers selected Michigan State star Jayden Reed in the second round with the 50th pick overall. With his selection in the NFL Draft, Reed joins Jalen Nailor as the second Spartan receiver drafted during head coach Mel Tucker’s tenure as head coach.

Reed heard his name called on his 23rd birthday.

In three seasons at Michigan State, Reed totaled 147 receptions, 2,069 receiving yards, and 18 touchdown grabs. He ranks sixth all-time at Michigan State in career receptions and seventh in career receiving touchdowns.

Reed caught 55 passes for 636 yards and five touchdowns during a senior season in which he was hampered by injuries. As a junior, Reed had his best season as a Spartan, leading Michigan State in receptions (59), receiving yards (1,026), and touchdown catches (10).

Beyond his ability as a wide receiver, Reed’s special teams value was also attractive to NFL teams.

Reed being selected as high as was in the NFL Draft is a credit to his overall body of work as Spartan along with his performances at the NFL Combine, and the Reese’s Senior Bowl prior to that.

Reed improved his draft stock with a solid performance at the NFL Draft combine. He ran a solid 40 (4.45) and posted good numbers in the vertical leap (33.5) and broad jump (10-1).

According to NFL NextGen Stats Reed’s NFL combine performance placed him right in the middle of the 48 receivers invited to the event. Reed received higher scores for production than he did for athleticism at The NFL Combine

Prior to the NFL Draft combine Reed was named Practice Player of the Week at the wide receiver position at the Reese’s Senior Bowl. His Senior Bowl performance earned him plaudits of Executive Director Jim Nagy.

“Jayden Reed will out-perform many WRs projected to go earlier as pro,” Nagy said.

ESPN Draft Analyst Todd McShay was also bullish on Reed after in-person evaluation at the Senior Bowl.

“Locked him into the 2nd round after his week in Mobile and I’m not budging on his grade,” McShay said. “There will be a handful of WRs taken ahead of him on Friday night that he will wind up out-performing in the near future.”

While McShay had Reed tabbed as a potential second-round pick, many other analysts projected him as a third-round or fourth-round pick. NFL Network Draft analyst Lance Zierlein ranked Reed a little bit lower, projecting him as an early Day 3 pick.

Reed, who knew that he was unlikely to be selected in the first or second round, was hoping to hear his name called in the third round, as it falls upon his birthday.

“My birthday is on Day 2 so hopefully we can get somewhere in the second or third round but anywhere my name gets called, I’m going to be excited and I’m going to be grateful,’’ Reed told SpartanMag at Michigan State pro day last month. “I’ve gotten a lot of feedback (that) really I’m just a versatile player. I can play punt return, kick return, outside, inside (receiver), gunner (on punts), anything you can name. That’s what a lot of teams liked about me.’’

There was no doubt in the mind of Reed’s former Michigan State teammates or coaches that he would be selected in the NFL Draft. Spartan wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins, a former second-round draft pick who played nine seasons in the NFL, described Reed as a special football player earlier this spring.

“He’s special man,” said Hawkins. “On Draft Day, I’ll be cooped up somewhere, probably some hotel, looking at the Draft and smiling from ear to ear. I’ll hit him up and tell him how proud of him that I am. I am super proud of the guys that get an opportunity to play on Sunday.”

With Keon Coleman looking a like a potential 2024 Draft Pick and good young talent in the Michigan State program, there is a good chance that the Spartans will see their streak of receivers selected in the NFL Draft continue in the coming years.

“There are some other guys in that room that are going to go down that same path,” Hawkins said. “For those guys to grow underneath me makes me proud. I see myself as a servant leader for them. I am here to make sure that they have the opportunity to reach their goals and dreams.”