Jeremy Reaves Is A Versatile DB That Has A Nose For The Football & Starter Potential For The Redskins

Jeremy Reaves, CB/S
School: South Alabama | Conference: Sun Belt
College Experience: Senior | Age: 22?
Height / Weight: 5-10 / 204 lbs
Projected Draft Status: 4th Round
NFL Comparison: Cyrus Jones

College Statistics

Player Overview

Jeremy Reaves was the Sun Belt Defensive Player Of The Year for 2017. No offense to the Sun Belt conference - it is still division I college football but Reaves dominated his level of competition in that conference and rose to the occasion with more talented opponents this year. He looked good at the Senior Bowl both in practices and in the actual game. Reaves is a versatile player having played both outside and inside as a cornerback and also having played both safety positions while at South Alabama. Reaves is a physical player with a nose for the football. He has delivered some punishing hits for a guy his size and also has a knack for creating turnovers with 8 forced fumbles and 8 interceptions in his career. He is a bit undersized for the position which likely limits him to a nickel CB role in the NFL but he still has the versatility to play both safety spots if a team asks and probably should be used in a similar way the Arizona Cardinals used Tyrann Mathieu. If he lands in the right environment and gets the opportunities Reaves could be a very productive player at the next level.

Strengths

• Well built for the position with good speed and athleticism.
• Instinctive and anticipatory player. He plays with good vision, instincts, and urgency and is particularly good at crashing down on routes or coming up to the LOS and helping make a tackle.
• Solid and extremely productive as a tackler. Has pop behind his hits and can stop a guy in his tracks. He works to get the ball out as well and tries to rip it out from the opponent's possession. Patient and poised in coverage and will bait QBs into throws and give receivers a false sense of security by initially keeping some distance. He can close very quickly and is a hawkish player.
• A versatile player having played just about every position in the secondary. Could be used as a chess piece by a creative defensive coordinator. Plays with a competitive rabid attitude and can complete with opponents much bigger than he is.

Weaknesses

• Aggressive player who can bite too hard and might be sold down the river by a manipulative QB and a WR who is good at selling their routes.
• Undersized for the position and though he is a tough player who is up to any challenge he may have trouble with opponents with size, length, and athleticism.
• At times can be too aggressive at the end of the route and won't turn his head drawing PI calls.

Let's see his work:

More Jeremy Reaves videos

How He Would Fit On The Redskins

If the Redskins don't make corner or safety a priority in the first couple of rounds I can see Reaves being a nice versatile option for the team. Reaves could come in and play where the team needed him. That could be depth at safety or he could compete for the starting nickel CB job and he could definitely contribute on special teams as a coverage guy. It may take Reaves a season or two to get the hang of the speed of the NFL but he is a solid prospect with good fundamentals. I’ll be interested to see his athletic profile once South Alabama’s Pro Day rolls around on April 6th. If he tests well there I could see him going as high as the 3rd round. Reaves nose for the ball should help the Redskins both in run defense and in coverage. He’ll need some coaching to improve his technique and learn when to be strategic in the chances that he takes but he is a high upside player.