SEATTLE - Northwest Mississippi Community College has been represented well over the years in the Seattle Seahawks organization, a bond that includes Pro Football Hall of Famer Cortez Kennedy.

That connection strengthened a little more on Saturday, as former Ranger and New Mexico cornerback Jerrick Reed II was taken by the Seahawks in the sixth round of the 2023 National Football League Draft.

Reed, a native of Olive Branch, spent one season with Northwest in 2018, helping the Rangers to an 8-2 record and the MACJC semifinals. He finished third among Northwest defenders with 71 tackles, three PBUs and two interceptions. Reed also posted two games with 10 or more tackles, including a career-high 19 tackles in a loss to East Mississippi that season.

In his lone season at Northwest, Reed was part of a stout secondary that featured numerous future Division I standouts, including 2021 New York Jets' draft pick Brandin Echols (Kentucky) and Chris Stamps (Middle Tennessee), who recently joined the coaching staff of the XFL's Orlando Guardians. Other notable members included former West Virginia safety Joshua Norwood, Malik Sanders (UMass/Mississippi State), Marlon Character, Jr. (Louisville) and Devin Rockette (South Alabama).

Reed then spent the last four seasons at New Mexico, anchoring the Lobos' defensive backfield and starting 36 of 41 career games played. He totaled 267 tackles (164 solo), 8.5 tackles for loss and seven interceptions, earning Honorable Mention All-Mountain West after the 2021 season and first-team honors in 2020.

Reed is the fourth Northwest football alumnus to be taken in the NFL Draft in the last five years, joining quarterback Gardner Minshew (Washington State; Jacksonville) in 2019, offensive lineman Damien Lewis (LSU; Seattle) in 2020 and defensive back Brandin Echols (Kentucky; New York Jets 2021) in 2021. Additionally, Reed is also the sixth Ranger to be drafted by the Seahawks, joining Lewis, Kennedy (1990), Roy Hart (1988), Jeff Blackshear (1993) and Fred Thomas (1996).