Joe Reed has an X-Factor in his game that few prospects have

For the Arizona Cardinals the wide receiver position is one that needs more day three picks like they need a hole in their head.

Yet, they’ve met with all of the top receivers and a plethora of day three and potential undrafted prospects.

Let’s start with a look at some of the lower round players and maybe why they have interest.

Joe Reed is a monster of a man. At 6-0 224lbs he is a wide receiver in a running backs body. Which should not surprise anyone as Reed was an All State running back in high school. He moved to receiver at Virginia and had his struggles with the transition.

Yet, Reed improved immensely his junior year, catching 25 passes for 485 yards, or 18.6 yards per catch and seven touchdowns. His senior year didn’t go as well, while he still scored 7 touchdowns he had only 683 yards on 78 catches.

Reed lacks refinement still as a receiver and is much more of a threat with the ball in his hands than in routes.

That’s why the spectrum for Reed is insane. As a wide receiver prospect you feel less than likely he’ll ever be more than a WR4/5, but he is one of the best kick returners in all of college football and has a high end comp to three-time All Pro return man Cordarrelle Patterson.

That’s insane, but look at Reed’s four years of work as a return man:

2016: 27 returns 678 yards 25.1 yards per return

2017: 29 returns 861 yards 29.7 yards per return 2 TDs

2018: 26 returns 707 yards 27.2 yards per return 1 TD

2019: 24 returns 796 yards 33.2 yards per return 2 TDs

Reed’s ticket to a successful NFL career will be as an X-Factor on special teams.

As a receiving prospect he comps out to Amara Darboh who flamed out after one year in the NFL.

The question becomes, is that worth a pick in the sixth or seventh round?