It’s somewhat understandable considering his New York Jets’ tenure began at the same time as the highly-touted Sauce Gardner.
Cornerback D.J. Reed’s free-agent signing was instantly overshadowed when the Jets selected Gardner at No. 4 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, and Reed has seemingly played second fiddle to New York’s franchise CB1 ever since. While Gardner has captured back-to-back All-Pro First Team selections, Reed has accounted for top-level performance minus the accolades.
Then, following back-to-back seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, Reed joined the Jets as part of the 2022 free agent class. He has since started 32 games for New York, contributing to what was the NFL’s third-ranked defense.
When it comes to “underrated” producers, Reed will likely appear on most lists, as is the case with the latest collection of analysis from Pro Football Focus. Amidst OTAs unfolding around the league, PFF identified the top underrated player on each of the NFL’s 32 clubs.
The 27-year-old Reed, a former San Francisco 49ers’ fifth-round selection, arrived in New York with prior experience of playing under Jets’ fourth-year head coach Robert Saleh. The California-born cornerback spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons in San Francisco with Saleh serving as the defensive coordinator
