The Detroit Lions made a handful of smart moves this offseason, but none loomed larger than the addition of cornerback D.J. Reed. According to Lions head coach Dan Campbell, Reed is already checking all the right boxes.
Lockdown mentality, physical edge
From the jump, Campbell didn’t mince words when talking about what Reed brings to the table.
“He’s got cover ability. He can play man-to-man. Let’s start there,” Campbell recently said at the NFL Owners Meetings.
That’s music to any defensive coordinator’s ears. But the praise didn’t stop at coverage skills. Campbell was quick to point out how Reed doesn’t shy away from the dirty work, especially in the run game.
“But then he’ll bite on the perimeter. Right? He’ll come up. He’ll tackle. He’ll squeeze the edges. And then when you see him in press, man, he challenges. He’s not giving you free release. He’ll mix it up. And then he’ll challenge you at the catch point. Man, he’s feisty. He’s competitive.”
That last word? Competitive. That might be the trait Campbell values most.
Resilience and grit in every snap
One of the things that really impressed Campbell had nothing to do with a highlight-reel play. In fact, it came after a rare mistake.
“One of the best things that I saw—I told him this—they were playing, it was early in the year, crossover tape. He got beat on the play. He actually got beat, all right?” Campbell recalled.
“And to watch him put his foot in the ground, kind of stumble out from one of the rare times he gets beat—but you get beat at corner, that’s part of this league. He gets beat. He puts his foot in the ground, and I mean, he is on an all-out, he doesn’t have time to think about recover. He is just on a B-line to try to angle this guy off.”
Campbell emphasized that that kind of response tells you everything you need to know about a player.
“I thought that was one of the most impressive things — ‘Man, this guy doesn’t go in the tank, he’s not worried about what it looks like. He’s just trying to compete and win.’”
The Bottom Line
D.J. Reed fits the Detroit Lions like a glove. He’s physical, he’s resilient, and most importantly, he brings the kind of competitive edge that Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes love to build around. If Reed lives up to the billing, don’t be surprised if he becomes one of the heartbeat players on a defense that’s hungry to take the next step.
