The past few days at practice have been brutal for the Georgia Bulldogs because of the heat, but the team seems to be responding well to the weather. Senior defensive back J.R. Reed is seen as a leader on the defensive side of the ball, and he seems to think that as well.

Many think that Reed may take the role of former cornerback Deandre Baker as a leader on this 2019 defense. Baker was drafted in the first round of 2019 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. A big mystery for Georgia’s defense is if they can keep up the production that they maintained last year.

“The depth is better, the athleticism is there. I’d say the knack for the ball is there, and the big-play ability is there, a lot more than we had last year,” Reed said.

Reed adds that he likes what he has seen from some of the younger players as well. He said guys like Tae Crowder, D.J. Daniel, and Tyrique Stevenson have a lot of potential, and he compared them to seasoned veterans like himself.

“They’re doing good but the guys who have been here are doing a good job, too. The young guys are falling in line, they’re learning from us, they see how we work, we’re really pushing each other. If somebody goes down, there’s not going to be a drop-off.”

He seems to think that Georgia’s secondary unit could be one of the best in the country. A big thing that Reed pointed out is how much more versatile the defense is. Which is a huge plus for new defensive coordinator Dan Lanning.

“We’ve got guys who can play both safeties, both star positions, and a corner. It’s where if one person goes down, we don’t have to worry about who we’re going to put in,” Reed said. “I feel good playing back there with anybody.”

With that being said it should be an interesting season watching Reed try and fill Baker’s role. Georgia’s secondary was impressing during their 2018 campaign, but it’s believed that this year the defensive backend will be even better.

You can watch J.R. Reed’s full interview by clicking on the video below.