The first Michigan State Spartan to come off of the board in the 2023 NFL Draft is, unsurprisingly, wide receiver Jayden Reed. Reed was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the second round (No. 50 overall).
In 31 career games played as a Spartan, Reed tallied 147 catches for 2,069 yards and 18 touchdowns.
After dealing with a laceration on his back that caused him to miss the road game versus Washington, Reed finished the 2022 season with 55 catches for 636 yards and five touchdowns in 11 games. He earned second-team All-Big Ten honors as a wide receiver from the coaches and third-team recognition as a kick/punt returner from the media.
Reed’s best year statistically came during the 2021 season, catching 59 passes for 1,026 yards (17.4 yards per catch) and 10 touchdowns, while helping lead Michigan State to an 11-2 record. He was named as a first-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) as an all-purpose player, and was voted first-team All-Big Ten by The Associated Press as an all-purpose player as well. Additionally, Reed earned second-team All-Big Ten honors as a returner by both coaches and media, and third-team All-Big Ten accolades as a wide receiver by both coaches and media that year.
During his time in East Lansing, Reed was also a special teams ace as a kick/punt returner. In the 2021 season, Reed returned 12 punts for 238 yards (19.8 yards per return) and two touchdowns.
The Naperville, Illinois native played his true freshman season at Western Michigan before transferring to Michigan State ahead of the 2019 campaign. Reed was forced to sit out in 2019 due to transfer rules at the time, but still practiced with the team.
Following the 2022 season, Reed was invited to the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama where he was a standout performer throughout the week of practice in early February.
Reed than participated in the NFL Combine in Indianapolis in early March, where he had a strong showing, including recording a 4.45-second 40-yard dash and running a "gauntlet" drill in which he did not drop a single ball despite dealing with a severe eye infection.
Later in March, Reed returned to Michigan State's campus for the program's pro day. Reed sat on most of his numbers from the combine, but did participate in the bench press and go through positional drills.
Reed was in contact with every NFL team leading up to the draft. Many teams were enamored with his abilities, versatility to play inside or outside as a wide receiver and special teams prowess.
“I’ve interviewed with all 32 (NFL) teams, so I've gotten a lot of feedback,” Reed said following Michigan State's pro day on March 15. “(They) really (like) just that I'm a versatile player. I could play punt return, kick return, outside, inside, gunner – anything you could name. That's what a lot of teams like about me, that I add value in many different places.”
Being selected on Day Two is special for Reed, as it fell on April 28, which also happens to be his 23rd birthday.
“I feel like my name's gonna be called whenever it should be called,” Reed said after the pro day. “That's kind of the stuff that I can't control. So I'm really just really happy and blessed to be a part of it. My birthday is on Day Two (April 28), so hopefully we can get somewhere in the second or third round or something like that. No doubt. Anywhere my name gets called, I'm gonna be excited and I'm gonna be grateful … That would be the best birthday present I ever had in my life.”
Reed will play for head coach Matt LaFleur in Green Bay and joins a wide receivers room that currently features Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and others.
Reed becomes the 320th overall NFL Draft selection out of Michigan State. This year's draft also makes it 56 out of the last 57 drafts in the common era in which at least one Spartan has been selected.
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