The San Francisco 49ers announced on Friday that they have signed cornerback D.J. Reed Jr. to a four-year deal.
Reed Jr. (5-9, 188) was selected by the 49ers in the fifth round (142nd overall) of this year's draft out of Kansas State University. He played in 24 games (23 starts) in two years at Kansas State and registered 122 tackles, five tackles for loss, seven interceptions, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and 32 passes defensed. He also recorded 26 kickoff returns for 837 yards (32.2 average) and one touchdown as well as 17 punt returns for 253 yards (14.9 average) and one touchdown. In 2017, he earned First-Team All-Big 12 honors at both defensive back and kick returner/punt returner and was also named Honorable Mention Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year. Last season, he started all 11 games in which he played and notched 47 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, four interceptions, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and 13 passes defensed in addition to 17 kickoff returns for 582 yards (34.2 average) and one touchdown along with 17 punt returns for 253 yards (14.9 average) and one touchdown. His 34.2 kickoff return average ranked third in school history and fourth in Big 12 history, while his 14.9 punt return average was tied for the sixth-best average in school history. As a junior, he was named Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year and earned First-Team All-Big 12 honors after playing in all 13 games (12 starts) and recording 75 tackles, 0.5 tackle for loss, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and 19 passes defensed while also notching nine kickoff returns for 255 yards (28.3 average).
In 2015, he attended Cerritos College (Norwalk, CA) where he played in 11 games and notched 42 tackles, two interceptions and three passes defensed and helped lead the Falcons to a National Division Northern Conference championship and berth into the Southern California Regional Playoffs. As a freshman, he redshirted at Fresno State.
A 21-year-old native of Bakersfield, CA, he attended Independence High School.
