LA Rams News: Obo and Reed added to 53-man roster

Medically flagged

All of that builds a case for Reed to be drafted. But like many outstanding prospects, Reed faced a medical flag in the 2020 NFL Draft. He had a torn ACL in high school which did not pose a problem in college.  Reed signed on with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent. He also had offers to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals.

Reed had a good draft grade, with some projecting him to be selected as high as day two. And he made great plays for the Georgia Bulldogs. While he was very productive in college football, his draft profile described him with the same limits that described Fuller. He was projected as a deep safety who would be very good at running downhill in the box. Consistently, Reed was viewed as a player who had limits to his ceiling.

Reed passed his audition

The LA Rams elevated Reed to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football. While he did not show up in the postgame box stats, he must have passed that audition. After all, the proof is self-evident. He’s been signed to the Rams active 53-man roster.  What happens next is all up to him. Based on the Rams track record with overlooked defensive backs, and his bloodline, I’d say that Reed has a promising NFL future.

Reed has a lot of intriguing characteristics that could prove to be a solid impact on the defense if he earns snaps. But for now, he’ll likely be part of the special teams’ group and be tasked with absorbing snaps typically assigned to an inside linebacker. But there is more than meets the eye of DB J.R. Reed. He’s on the 53-man roster for a reason. Let’s hope he proves to be another diamond-in-the-rough.