Jordan Reed

The standard complaint with Reed is injury problems and what could have been had he stayed on the field. Alas, in 2018, Reed did plow through 13 games for the first time since 2015, but he had the lowest catch rate of his career (64.3 percent) and scored just two touchdowns on 54 receptions. He topped four catches per game for a sixth time in six NFL seasons, but it's a far cry from his 2015 peak when an 87-952-11 receiving line put him on the short list of the league's most dynamic tight ends. Part of Reed's funk can be pinned on the four mediocre quarterbacks the Redskins shuttled between last year, but it's not like new QBs Case Keenum and Dwayne Haskins are sure things to provide a dramatic upgrade. In prior years, we'd spend hours daydreaming about what Reed could do if he could only stay healthy. At this stage of his career, maybe we have to conclude that all serious upside has left the building for good.

This is a profile any football fan could write. We all know the score with Reed - dominant player when healthy, but rarely is he healthy. He's missed 28 games in five years, and what's especially troubling is the recurring concussions. You don't want to waste too much time analyzing a hurt player performing poorly, but Reed is coming off a dreadful year. His catch rate remained lofty, but he averaged a putrid 7.8 yards per catch and only scored twice in six games. Reed is the type of player with a medical file so troubling that he could go on injured reserve or retire at any point. And we say that with sympathy, and with disappointment that we can't watch one of the NFL's best tight ends do his thing. One of the tiebreakers against a Reed pick is that he typically forces you to spend another draft pick on a backup tight end. The upside for a lottery-ticket tight end is seldom as high as what you get with the stash-and-hope backs and receivers. The fan in us, we're all for Reed. The harsh, bottom-line guy might put him on the fade list.

Time lost to injury comes standard with any Reed purchase. He's played in 46 of 64 possible games since turning pro. A shoulder problem cost him two games last year, but it was a concussion (two more games missed) that is the greater concern, as he's had at least three in Washington. Of course, when Reed is on the field, he's dynamite. The last three years, he's fifth in TE yards per game and second in catch rate. Only five tight ends scored more touchdowns over that span. The Washington offense always has good pieces, but this year it might truly be the Jordan Reed Show. Coach Jay Gruden said in late March that the "offense runs through" Reed; that's both a compliment to Reed and a nod to the team losing DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon. The acquisition of WR Terrelle Pryor will help with those losses, but Reed could still lead the team in the most important receiving-opportunity stats. At the end of the day, it comes down to how risk-averse you are with those pricey early round picks, as he's already missing practice in training camp due to a toe sprain. Reed's concussion history will eliminate him off some draft boards completely, while other owners will focus on the upside, knowing Reed is capable of being the No. 1 tight end if things fall right. With Gruden calling the plays and Kirk Cousins set for at least one more year, the pieces are in place for Reed to dominate again, at least when he's on the field.

Reed finally had a healthy season last year, for the most part, and delivered on what he had teased his first two years. He led the position in catch rate, snagging 76.3 per-cent of his targets, and touchdowns and tied for second in catches. At 6-3, 237, Reed is not a big TE, but he plays big in the red zone. Ten of his 11 TDs came inside the 20, where he caught a TE-high 16 passes on 21 targets, including 9-of-11 inside the 10 for a position-leading seven scores. He also benefited from the return of DeSean Jackson, who missed all but 13 plays of the first seven games. With Jackson stretching the field beginning in Week 9, Reed was free to work underneath, increasing his YPT from 7.4 to 9.0 and becoming Kirk Cousins' favorite target. He sprained an MCL in Week 11, but that didn't stop him down the stretch, as he came up biggest in the fantasy playoffs, averaging nine receptions and 111 yards with five TDs in Weeks 14-16. Health is still a concern, however. Reed missed two games with what is believed to be his fourth concussion, at least. His previous concussion caused him to miss six games in 2013. As long as he stays healthy, though, he should get the chance to produce. Jackson isn't much of a red-zone threat, Pierre Garcon will be 30 when the season starts, and while Josh Doctson is 6-2, he's a rookie.

For the second year in a row, injuries wiped out a good portion of Reed's season, as he missed five games with a hamstring injury that he struggled with all year. He ranked second among tight ends by catching 76.9 percent of his targets, but he failed to score and his yards per catch and yards per target both dropped from his rookie season. Instability at quarterback deserves much blame. Reed again showed good speed and athleticism, gaining more than half his yards (276) on his own to average 5.5 yards after the catch, sixth among tight ends. At 6-2, 237, Reed is undersized for the position, but he still tied for the team lead with 10 red-zone targets. It would be interesting to see what he could do in a full, healthy season as the third option in the passing game. DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon merit enough defensive attention with their speed to guarantee the tight end single coverage over the middle; with Niles Paul out for the year, opportunity knocks for Reed, health permitting.

Reed was limited to nine games last season because of a concussion that eventually landed him on injured reserve. A third-round pick out of Florida, the rookie quickly became the second option in Washington's passing game, behind only Pierre Garcon, wresting the starting tight-end role away from Fred Davis. Even with quarterback Robert Griffin III's accuracy issues last season, Reed still caught 75 percent of his passes, most among qualified tight ends. At 6-2, 225, Reed is not big for the position, but he caught 6-of-7 red-zone targets, converting three into touchdowns. He has good speed and gained more than half his yards (256) after the catch, averaging 5.7 YAC (sixth). With Garcon and free-agent acquisition DeSean Jackson stretching the field on the outside, Reed could be free to roam across the middle this season. But he might see fewer targets. In addition to Jackson, the Redskins added Andre Roberts to the receiving corps, and Logan Paulsen, who had 50 targets last season, likely will poach some looks at tight end.

Reed was an effective pass-catching TE in college and has some sleeper potential as a rookie in Washington, as Fred Davis hasn't exactly exemplified durability.