Now that we’ve entered the deep, dark pit that is the NFL offseason, it’s time to start looking forward to the Detroit Lions’ 2024 season. Following a record-breaking season in 2023, the club has set its sights on “the big boy.”
Over the course of the next several weeks, we here at Pride of Detroit are going to be working through our roster-preview series. Next up, we have free agent acquisition, defensive tackle DJ Reader.
DJ Reader
Expectations for 2023
Reader, who was picked in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans, has been one of the greatest run defenses in the league since his debut. It’s easy to see why, given his powerful build and 6-foot-3 height and 335 pounds.
However, Reader’s role goes much beyond simply being another big human in the midst of a defense. The dude is a technician with his hands and leverage, and with his experience, he appears to constantly know what the offensive is attempting to do to him.
He is such a force on the inside that the offense nearly usually has to devote two blockers to the nine-year veteran. Through my personal video review of his play, I discovered that is generally enough to stalemate Reader. You won’t be able to move him from his position, but on most downs, teams are attempting to limit the vertical push he can generate in the middle of the offensive line. When offenses make the terrible mistake of attempting to block Reader with a lone guard or center, he nearly acts as if it is a slight and walks the overwhelmed blocker into the lap of the passer.
After spending the last three years of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals, Reader was once again expected to be a dominant interior defender for a club with Super Bowl aspirations when the season began.
Actual role in 2023
14 games (14 starts): 535 defensive snaps
Stats: 34 tackles, 20 solo, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 7 quarterback hits, 1 fumble recovery.
PFF defensive grade: 82.2 (13th out of 141 qualifying DTs — minimum 200 snaps)
PFF run defense grade: 75.3 (10th out of 141)
PFF tackling grade: 29.0 (129th out of 141)
PFF pass rush grade: 79.1 (14th out of 141)
Reader continued exactly where he left off in 2023, which surprised no one. He was a constant presence on the interior of the Bengals’ defensive line. Given the AFC North’s opponents, including the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens, it stands to reason that Cincinnati would be one of the clubs prepared to pay a premium for one of the league’s most consistent run defenses.
While the counting metrics will never be impressive to someone who spends the majority of their reps at the zero or one-technique, Reader’s impact reaches every level of a defense when you add the context you gain from viewing the movie.
Among the defensive linemen that played at least 20% of their team’s defensive snaps, Reader had 75.3.
