ALLEN PARK — If you paid attention to D.J. Reed’s posts on X (formerly Twitter), you’d know he held the Detroit Lions secondary room in high regard long before he ever donned his team gear or stepped onto the field with his new teammates.
What may not have been immediately obvious, however, revealed itself after Friday’s practice: the eight-year veteran’s humility.
Reed shared his assessment of the Lions secondary when speaking with reporters, highlighting how his new teammates — many of whom have not played as long as him — are helping him get up to speed.
“It’s what I thought it was,” Reed said of the Lions’ secondary room. “It’s the reason why Kerby (Joseph) and Brian Branch — you could arguably say they’re the 1A, (1B) safeties. You could argue that they are both the best safeties in the NFL right now. And when you see them work day in and day out, it makes sense. And even working with Amik (Robertson), you can see why he’s the best nickel or one of the best nickels, just with the way he communicates, the way he approaches every day, and the way he works.
“And TA (Terrion Arnold) right now—same thing. He hit me up a couple of days ago when I was practicing, (and) was basically watching my film for me and telling me what I need to work on, and he was correct too with what he emphasized I need to work on. So, the next day, I went and worked on that. So, we got a good group. Ennis (Rakestraw) has been balling his ass off. He had a great day today, so our whole DB room is full of dogs.”
The Lions signed Reed to a three-year, $48 million contract in March, shortly after veteran cornerback Carlton Davis III bolted Detroit after one season to ink a lucrative deal with the New England Patriots.
Similar to Davis, Reed feels he’ll bring veteran leadership to the secondary. But as for what’s unique to what he can bring, he said it’s his ability to help the young guys understand quick game and five-step reads, recognize what offenses are trying to attack in their defense, and demonstrate leadership through his daily routine.
“I’m more of a kind of show what I do, and if you pick off it, if you got questions, I got you,” Reed said. “But I’m new here, so I’m not going to just come here and just tell people what works. It’s like someone comes to me or asks me a question, and vice versa. I ask them questions. I’m new here, so they really know more than me as far as the playbook and experience, so I’m really asking them more questions than they’re asking me right now.”
As Reed continues to adjust to life in Detroit, he reflected on his previous stint with the New York Jets, where the team won no more than 19 games over his three-year span there.
Now in Detroit, Reed shared his gratitude for joining a team he felt was destined to win the Super Bowl last season and how his time with the Jets prepared him to join a squad with championship aspirations.
“Just being here, I’ve just felt a lot of gratitude. I needed to go through what I went through in New York, and I’m grateful that I went through it,” Reed said. “I played with a lot of great guys, was coached by great coaches, and yeah, I’m definitely grateful for the time I was there. I definitely got better, especially as far as pressing, because we played a lot of man in New York compared to when I was in Seattle, so I definitely added more to my toolbox when I was in New York. So, I’m grateful for that.”