By Blessing 
The Detroit Lions have high hopes for what could become one of the league’s most formidable cornerback duos—veteran D.J. Reed and rookie first-round pick Terrion Arnold.
Reed, 28, shared his early impressions of Arnold and spoke with confidence about the young cornerback’s potential. While acknowledging some of the technical flaws Arnold displayed on film, Reed believes those issues are nothing that can’t be fixed.
“I thought Terrion played well last year. Obviously, he was handsy, which, that’s something that you can correct, that’s totally fixable,” Reed said. “As far as talent, as far as being sticky, it was a reason why he was drafted in the first round. So, he’s going to be very good, in my opinion. I think he’s a Pro Bowl, All-Pro type of guy.”
The Lions brought in Reed not only for his on-field skillset but also for the leadership and experience he brings to a youthful secondary. His goal in Detroit is clear: help lead this team toward its first-ever Super Bowl title.
“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 or whether I play longer—when I’m done playing I want to be able to say I gave everything to the game,” Reed explained. “And 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.”
Reed’s arrival in Detroit is being embraced not just by fans but also by former teammates. One of them, All-Pro corner Sauce Gardner, chimed in on social media with a light-hearted post about unknowingly preparing Reed for the move.
“It’s crazy because I showed him how to do the blade dance when we was in NY just for him to go to Detroit lol,” Gardner wrote on X, referencing a dance associated with Detroit hip hop culture. “I was culturing my dawg for Detroit without even knowing.”
With Reed’s mindset and Arnold’s raw talent, the Lions may have something special brewing in their secondary.