Jaden Reddell | TE | Georgia | 2027 NFL Draft Eligible
The Georgia Bulldogs may end up earning the title of “Tight End U” over Iowa within the next few years. Brock Bowers is taking his talents to the NFL, but you better believe Kirby Smart has a plan to replace his superstar tight end. The devy community is well aware of Oscar Delp by now, who flashed some elite talent as an underclassman and is expected to take over the TE1 role for the Bulldogs in 2024. But you may not have heard of Jaden Reddell, incoming freshman out of Peculiar, Missouri. Reddell was one of the top-ranked tight ends in the country and might just be the heir apparent once Delp takes that next step to the NFL ranks. Let’s look at Reddell’s prospect profile and see how he should be valued in our devy leagues.
High School Numbers
Jaden attended Ray-Pec High School in Missouri, where he put together over 2,000 all-purpose yards and 23 touchdowns during his high school career. His junior season was his most productive, posting 1,002 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns through ten contests. The Panthers of Ray-Pec finished at just 3-7 during Reddell’s senior year, but they also had one of the toughest schedules in the state of Missouri. As a senior, Reddell saw his numbers take a dip, totaling 418 yards and four touchdowns in eight games.
Jaden was rated a 4-star recruit by all four major recruiting platforms and ESPN ranked him the top tight end in his class. Reddell received offers from nearly every Power 5 program in the country, ultimately electing to sign with Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs this past December.
Strengths/Weaknesses
Jaden’s biggest strengths are his ball tracking and hands. He displays excellent body control and can adjust to inaccurate passes with relative ease. Reddell’s high school tape is filled with clips of him making contested catches over multiple defenders and bullying his way into some significant yards after the catch. According to Reddell’s Twitter, he runs a 4.41 40-yard dash. If this is a legitimate time, this kid is FAST. Watching tape, you can see Reddell has a smooth, fluid running motion and takes some very long strides. Typically, those guys who make it look like they aren’t trying when running at top speed are deceivingly fast.
At 6’4 and 235 lbs, Reddell already has some pretty good size for an incoming freshman. And he has 3 to 4 years to continue adding lean mass to his frame, so I don’t see size being an issue once he’s draft-eligible. Reddell was used more as an H-back than a traditional tight end in high school, often used in motion, in the slot, and out wide. He wasn’t used much in-line, and I didn’t see any tape of Jaden used as a blocker, so that area of his game may be somewhat of a question mark.
Jaden showed impressive route running skills when he wanted to, using some nice change-of-pace moves to create separation from his defenders. At times, he did ease off the gas when it came to breaking or cutting in his route, as he relied more on his athleticism and size to secure the ball. However, his agility and strength are apparent, and he has the skills to become an excellent route runner in college. Reddell was often utilized as a vertical threat in this Ray-Pec offense, making big-time plays over smaller DBs.
Dynasty/Devy Value
With Oscar Delp ahead of him on the depth chart, I don’t see Jaden getting many opportunities as a freshman. Georgia also signed Ben Yurosek, former Stanford TE standout. But with Delp entering Year 3 and having the skill set to be an early declare (at least in my opinion), and Yurosek being a 5th-year senior, Reddell could see himself entering that TE1 role for Kirby Smart in 2025. Let me be clear, though. This is by no means a foregone conclusion. Even if Delp declares for the 2025 NFL Draft, Jaden will have plenty of competition to deal with on this roster. Lawson Luckie is a former 4-star recruit, entering his sophomore campaign this coming season. Smart also signed 3-star recruit Colton Heinrich out of this 2024 class. I think Reddell is a better prospect than Luckie and Heinrich and is ultimately Georgia’s tight end of the future, but he’ll have to earn it.
We haven’t seen this guy take a single college snap yet, so it’d be premature to project Jaden as another early-declare destined for NFL greatness. But we do know Kirby Smart knows how to pick them, and on film, this looks like a player who could become a very fantasy-friendly tight end down the road.
If you’re looking to add Reddell to your devy rosters and your league is full of sharps, you’ll probably need to take him fairly early in your startups and/or supplemental drafts this offseason. No, he won’t see immediate production in Year 1, but his fantasy ceiling is one that we love to bet on when it comes to devy formats. This offseason is likely the cheapest Reddell’s fantasy value will be, so now is as good a time as any to buy in.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article, and I hope you got some valuable information you can use for your fantasy team! If you’d like additional insight into Dynasty Football news and analysis, please follow me on Twitter at @jim_DFF. Until next time, keep grinding out there, DFF family! #DFFArmy #AlwaysBeBuilding
