The Detroit Lions are entering a massive offseason. Coming off a 15-2 record and a season where they earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs, the Lions are on the doorstep of a Super Bowl appearance. While they also made the NFC Championship Game in 2023, they haven’t been able to kick down the door, making the top objective to find the move that puts them over the top.
A lot of the talk this offseason has been about additions. Myles Garrett and Trey Hendrickson have been popular trade targets. Brad Holmes has a reputation for finding supplemental pieces to put around their core. A big splash in free agency is unlikely but it also negates some players who are on the other side of the discussion.
While the Lions are looking to add pieces, it’s because they’re trying to upgrade an area where someone has failed. These players could be skating on thin ice and it could lead to some unwanted competition when free agency begins next week.
1. DJ Reeder, Defensive Tackle
A lot has been made about what the Lions are going to do on the edge (and we’ll get to that later). But Detroit also needs to find depth on the interior if they want to improve defensively next season.
Like most of a unit that had 13 players on injured reserve by the end of the year, the Lions interior defenders were bitten by the injury bug. Alim McNeil had a tremendous season with 25 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, a forced fumble and 3.5 sacks and signed a four-year, $97 million contract extension last October. But a torn ACL suffered in a Dec. 15 loss to the Buffalo Bills puts his availability at the start of next season in question, putting the spotlight on D.J. Reeder.
Reeder isn’t a terrible option to have as a starter as he ranked 36th among 118 qualifying defensive tackles with a 66.5 overall grade according to Pro Football Focus. The 30-year-old was also serviceable with 22 quarterback pressures on 340 pass-rushing snaps for a 6.4% pressure rate. Although his 62.6 run defense grade was the lowest of his career, he was also coming off a torn quadriceps and will be another year removed from that injury last season.
This is why Reeder is likely to remain in the starting lineup – especially with Levi Onwuzurike entering free agency – but he could also be in the wrong place at the wrong time considering the Lions’ options in the draft and in free agency.
Let’s say the Lions keep their first round pick – a scenario that seems likely unless the Browns change their stance on trading Garrett or they can pry Hendrickson from the Bengals. While Detroit could go with Texas’s Jahdae Barron to add depth at cornerback, they could also look for Ole Miss’s Walter Nolen, Oregon’s Derrick Harmon or Toledo’s Darius Alexander with the 28th overall pick.
Getting back to free agency, this is also an area where Holmes could look for a short-term solution that pans out better than expected. Tershawn Wharton could be a signing that gets the Lions through McNeil’s recovery but could turn out into a starting level player that surpasses Reeder on the depth chart.
It gives Reeder a comfortable situation to start the season but his foundation could form a crack or two if the Lions make a depth move with some upside.