After the 2026 NFL Draft, it's clear that the Detroit Lions are preparing for a future without DJ Reader.
Between drafting Skyler Gill-Howard and the team expecting a much-healthier defensive front headlined by Alim McNeill, Tyleik Williams, and Levi Onwuzurike, the message being sent about Reader's free agency status is: "we're good."
Reader, as a result, will probably walk in the second wave of free agency following the draft. One team that's expressed interest in the veteran tackle is the New York Giants. After they selected just one defensive tackle in this year's draft, Bobby Jamison-Travis, it's clear that the team still needs a Dexter Lawrence replacement.
Reader feels like a perfect fit in that regard, and that's why it shouldn't come as a surprise if he does leave for the rebuilding NFC East squad.
Detroit set to watch Reader walk for NFC East team
Reader had a decent 2025 season for the Lions, tallying 28 total tackles and two stuffs. However, he didn't act as the additional pocket disruptor the Lions were probably hoping to get in Reader's second season with the Lions. His three sacks in 2024 at least helped to offset a missing Aidan Hutchinson in their lineup.
He's also getting up there in age, as he's about to enter his 11th season in the NFL. The Lions might not be too keen on spending much on a 31 year old tackle who has seen his production slip over the last few seasons, and especially in 2025.
Losing Roy Lopez, in addition to potentially Reader, makes him potentially walking just a bit more difficult to swallow. You're losing depth no matter how you slice it, and you're also relying heavily on the health of a few players who have shown to be less-than-reliable. A sophomore leap from Williams up front could help make these losses a bit more tolerable, although that's just another gamble.
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G Men HQ's Matt Sidney wrote of the Giants' Jamison-Travis pick:
"He’s a one-dimensional nose tackle with almost no pass-rush presence, and even the one thing he’s supposed to do -- control the middle -- comes with a ton of question marks. Too often, he gets stuck in long battles instead of shedding blocks quickly, and doesn’t consistently anchor the line the way you’d want from someone of his size."
So, it sure sounds like they're still in the market for a tackle who can make something shake. Reader could be that, although the teams' front office was coy about committing to any specific names on the DT market after the draft.
If this does materialize, the Lions play the Giants at home this season, so there's a potential opportunity to see Reader test the Lions' re-done offensive line.
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