Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed was one of the NFL’s most effective and productive pass-catchers on deep throws during the 2024 season, although his big plays dried up late after a sizzling start to the year.

According to Pro Football Focus, Reed earned a near-perfect 99.9 receiving grade on throws over 20 yards in the air last season, leading all wide receivers. He caught 12 of his 15 deep targets for 478 yards and completed all five of his contested targets on deep throws. Packers quarterbacks had a passer rating of 141.0 when targeting Reed on deep throws in 2024.

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Reed was one of only nine receivers to catch at least 12 passes thrown at least 20 yards in the air. Reed, who caught a ridiculous 80 percent of deep targets, was the only one to catch more than 65 percent of his deep targets.

His deep production started right out of the gates in 2024. Against the Eagles in Brazil, Reed caught all three of his deep targets for 129 yards, including a 70-yard touchdown beating zone coverage in the first half and an out-stretched 33-yarder along the sideline on the Packers’ final drive.

Reed also had a 42-yarder in Week 4, and his 53-yarder against triple coverage against the Rams in Week 5 was one of the best plays of the Packers’ season. His 51-yarder against the Jaguars in Week 8 set up a game-winning field goal from Brandon McManus as time expired. Reed erupted again in Week 9, catching all three of his deep targets for 101 yards against the Lions.

But Reed’s impact as a deep receiver mostly went away over the second half of the season.

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Between Weeks 10 and the Wild Card Round, or a span of nine games, Reed caught only three of five deep targets for 102 yards. During his first nine games, Reed caught nine of 10 deep targets for 376 yards — leading all wide receivers in both deep catches and deep receiving yards during the first nine weeks of the season.

The Packers must now find a way to keep Reed productive as a deep threat throughout a season. Matt LaFleur’s offense won’t have Christian Watson for a big chunk of the 2025 season, and even though first-round pick Matthew Golden is bringing elite speed to the table, the Packers need Reed to be a consistent deep threat. The scheme requires speed and the element of danger down the field to be maximally effective, and explosive plays — Reed had 15 catches of 20 or more yards, and five of 40 or more — often set up scoring opportunities.

Reed did most of his damage as a deep receiver on well-designed or well-timed plays against zone coverage, or in contested catch situations on extended plays. While a smaller receiver, Reed has the elite speed for stressing the integrity of zone coverages and the physicality at the catch point to win jump balls or hang onto throws in traffic.

Reed is a dynamic player who can win deep or on manufactured touches near the line of scrimmage. The Packers must maximize what he does best as a playmaker in 2025.

This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers WR Jayden Reed among top pass-catchers on deep throws in 2024