By Blessing 
DJ Reed didn’t just hit free agency as one of the top cornerbacks available—he was widely viewed as one of the premier defenders on the market. And yet, his heart was already set on just two destinations: Detroit or Washington.
Now that the ink has dried and Reed is officially a Detroit Lion, he’s confident he landed exactly where he belongs. His first impression of the Lions facility? “Bliss,” he said with a smile. “Almost a dream.”
“I felt that those two teams were contenders,” Reed shared during his introductory press conference. “Detroit, it’s crazy because before free agency started, early that Monday, I prayed to God, and I told him, ‘Whatever your will is. I want to go where you want me to go.’ It’s crazy because he literally gave me what my heart desired.”
And what was his heart set on? Reed spelled it out plainly: “I wanted to get paid, I wanted to play with dogs, and gratefully, I’m playing with dogs on the defensive side and the offensive side. So I’m going to a great team and have a shot at that Lombardi. That was my goal. Win a Super Bowl.”
While multiple teams were vying for his services, it was clear to Reed where he wanted to be. The decision eventually tilted in favor of Detroit—and from his perspective, it was absolutely the right call.
The Lions signed Reed to a three-year, $48 million deal—slightly less than some projections, and below a few other cornerback contracts signed this offseason. But despite that, Reed made it clear he wasn’t taking a discount, nor was he turning down a bigger payday from a lesser team.
“I feel like anybody that’s trying to win a Lombardi can see that Detroit’s on that way, on that path to win the Lombardi,” he said. “We watch tape. We see guys that want to play. When you see guys getting injured and the standard is still the standard, the defense isn’t really declining because the stars are out—that speaks volumes to the coach or the team, to the coaches getting the players ready.
“You can tell everybody is playing as one, coaches and players involved, which I think is rare in the NFL today.”
Reed’s journey to this point has been anything but conventional. He started his college football career as a walk-on at Fresno State before transferring to Kansas State, where he began to turn heads. Drafted in the fifth round back in 2018, he’s now on his third NFL contract—an impressive feat in itself. Still, he keeps a photo from his Fresno State days as a reminder of how far he’s come.
Since becoming a full-time starter in 2020, Reed has consistently elevated his game, particularly over the last three seasons with the New York Jets. Last year, he forced tight-window throws on 37.3% of his targets in coverage—good for the fourth-highest rate in the league. Pro Football Focus graded him 29th among all cornerbacks who played at least 20% of their team’s snaps.
While his interception numbers have been modest—just two over the last three years—he’s always around the ball, racking up 32 pass breakups in that span. He’s shown versatility in both zone and man coverage but sees a natural fit in Detroit’s defense, which leans heavily on man-to-man looks.
“I think it fits very well. The reason being I’m a scrappy guy myself. I have grit, I’m a tenacious player, I want to dominate and win every rep,” Reed said. “I’m a willing tackler as well as corner, which you know most corners don’t want to tackle. Most corners want to cover. I like to throw myself out there when I have to, and I also want to cover as well. So I think I fit well.”
That gritty, fearless attitude seems tailor-made for the Lions’ identity—a team built on toughness, resilience, and camaraderie.
Reed also expressed excitement about mentoring some of the team’s younger defensive backs, like Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw. Beyond that, he’s been breaking down Detroit’s tape in anticipation of playing behind safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph—both of whom he holds in high regard.
“I’m really looking forward to playing with the safety duo,” Reed said. “That’s something I was very excited about—is I’m going to be playing with two All-Pro safeties, which that’s going to take my game to the next level and I think it’s going to turn up the whole defense.”
More than anything, Reed is driven by a personal philosophy he calls “Empty The Tank.”
“I made a promise to myself. I call it ‘Empty The Tank.’ To give my all, and once I’m done—whenever that is, whether it’s after this contract, whether I play longer—when I’m done playing, I want to be able to say I gave everything to the game,” he said. “That’s something I looked myself in the face and said—that’s how I want to operate. So it doesn’t matter if I get paid, doesn’t matter if I’m not paid, I’m going to play the same regardless of whatever the situation is. That’s just how I operate.”
For Reed, this isn’t just a new chapter—it’s the start of a mission. And the goal is clear: hoist a Lombardi Trophy in Honolulu blue and silver.