The Detroit Lions entered the offseason with a clear goal to restock the roster following significant turnover both with players and the coaching staff. All-Pro center Frank Ragnow is retired, while offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn are on to new jobs.
It's a tall task to remain an elite team in the NFC, particularly after getting exposed by the Washington Commanders in the 2024 playoffs. Fixing the secondary was an obvious priority, as Detroit ranked just 25th in opponent yards per pass play (6.9).
Getting Aidan Hutchinson back from injury will help things, though the front office also signed former New York Jets cornerback D.J. Reed to a three-year, $48 million contract in free agency. Unfortunately for the Lions, Reed may accidentally wind up sabotaging the team from within.
The Top 10 CBs in the NFL, per @JohnKosko3 pic.twitter.com/ijxXsbcinG
— PFF (@PFF) June 3, 2025
New Lions CB D.J. Reed Could Sabotage Team From Within
This isn't so much an indictment of Reed, who ranked 42nd out of 222 qualified cornerbacks at Pro Football Focus last season. Rather, it's a cautionary tale about the nature of the position and how quickly primes can fade.
Reed will turn 29 during the season, typically the age at which corners start falling off. We can look to players like former Kansas City Chiefs star and current struggling Tennessee Titan L'Jarius Sneed as an example. Though Reed only gave up an 87.1 passer rating when targeted in coverage, that was his worst mark since 2019. He might still be an excellent corner, but it's risky to have so much invested in him when you need to turn things around in the secondary.
The organization spent recent high draft picks on Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr., and still has Amik Robertson on the roster as well. It's possible that Reed, who is expected to start, slows Rakestraw's development and hurts Detroit in the long run.
Should that happen, signing him to an average annual salary of $16 million will prove to be a mistake. The Lions' margin for error got a lot smaller this offseason, and now Reed will need to perform like a top-tier corner to make his contract worth it.
Otherwise, the opportunity cost will be massive, and Detroit will once again be at the drawing board, trying to solve a leaky defense.