The Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl win against the Kansas City Chiefs demonstrated the significance of a strong defense, a lesson that the Detroit Lions should consider.
In particular, the Eagles overpowered the Chiefs with an outstanding pass rush, a facet the Lions need to strengthen. However, as we observed on Sunday, possessing a skilled secondary is beneficial, and the Lions face a significant uncertainty in that domain.
Following a solid inaugural season in Detroit, Carlton Davis is poised to enter free agency and is not assured of coming back. If he fails to return, the Lions will have to begin with Ennis Rakestraw Jr., either in the slot or on the edge. The issue with that is the Missouri player remains uncertain after having minimal impact in Year 1.
Keeping that in consideration, the Lions should consider acquiring a seasoned cornerback if Davis does not return in 2025. A potential target for them is New York Jets upcoming free-agent cornerback, D.J. Reed, whom USA TODAY’s Nick Brinkerhoff forecasts will end up in Detroit.
Reed has played in Sauce Gardner’s shadow over the past few seasons, yet the cornerback has shined for the Jets throughout his tenure. He is prepared to progress after a challenging season, Reed shared with Tyler Dunne from Go Long. As the Jets look to establish a new culture with head coach Aaron Glenn, he is practically assured of wearing a different jersey next season.
The cornerback might instead join Glenn’s previous team, which will be seeking secondary assistance this offseason. Injuries hampered the unit towards the season’s conclusion, allowing Reed to team up with Terrion Arnold. Carlton Davis enjoyed an excellent season in the Motor City, but he might depart with Glenn exiting the area.
As Brinkerhoff notes, Reed has been unjustly undervalued while playing alongside Sauce Gardner for three seasons.
In 2024, Reed had his finest season with the Jets and one of the top performances of his career. He yielded a completion rate of 57.1% and a passer rating of 87.1, figures that are similar to those of Davis.
Reed, who recently completed the last year of his $33 million contract, has been very clear that he plans to play in a different location in 2025. Becoming part of a competitive team such as the Lions ought to be exciting following three years of defeat in New York.
“I’m prepared to enter free agency, man,” Reed said to Tyler Dunne of Go Long. “I’m prepared to explore what comes next for me.”
As per Spotrac, Reed is expected to sign a four-year, $58.6 million contract in free agency, averaging $14.7 million per year. That would be a fair price for the level of corner Reed represents.
According to Over the Cap, the Lions are expected to possess $46.5 million in cap space prior to any reductions, meaning there is certainly adequate room to accommodate Reed.
With Reed included, the Lions might position him alongside Terrion Arnold, while Rakestraw and Amik Robertson compete for the slot, where Rakestraw mentioned the team intended to begin his role before his injury.
We would presume that if the Lions aim to acquire a starting-level veteran cornerback, their initial move would be to attempt to re-sign Davis. However, if that turns out to be unfeasible, Reed would certainly be an excellent backup option.