Breaking news: American football cornerback DJ Reed is given the recognition that he deserves for being rock-solid, Carlton Davis’s eventual successor

The Lions promptly transitioned to D.J. Reed as their replacement for Carlton Davis, and it is high time that he received the recognition he deserves.

In an endeavour to rectify the cornerback position, the Detroit Lions acquired Carlton Davis during the 2024 offseason. Subsequently, he went out and fulfilled his commitment, serving as the lockdown corner that Detroit’s secondary critically required.

Davis subsequently entered the 2025 free agency market with the intention of obtaining the value he believed he was worth, as determined by the market. Therefore, he was readily transferred to the New England Patriots, and the Lions promptly replaced him with D.J. Reed, who had previously played for the New York Jets for the previous three seasons.

Reed was frequently tested as the perimeter corner opposite one of the league’s greatest players over the past three seasons, as he operated in the shadow of Sauce Gardner in New York. It is also evident that the Lions had him on their radar as a top pivot option once it became apparent that Davis would be departing.

D.J. Reed is appropriately recognised as a suitable replacement for Carlton Davis.
Based on their data, Pro Football Focus has examined one significant offseason acquisition for each NFL team. Reed was the “key metric” for the Lions, with a PFF coverage grade of at least 70.0 in each of the previous six seasons.

Detroit has been in pursuit of cornerback stability for an extended period of time. D.J. Reed is expected to offer stability to an otherwise youthful team, despite the fact that Carlton Davis III departed for New England in free agency. Reed has consistently achieved a minimum coverage grade of 70.0 in each of the previous six seasons, despite the notoriously volatile nature of cornerback production. In the same period, Detroit has only experienced three instances in which a cornerback played at least 100 possessions and achieved a minimum coverage grade of 70.0.

Reed would have undoubtedly extended his streak of seasons with more than 990 defensive snaps to four if he had not missed three games last season. Davis has never played that many snaps in a single season during his tenure, and he has been absent from at least four games in four consecutive seasons.

The Lions may mourn Davis to a certain extent, or to a significant extent, according to certain sources. However, they were able to acquire the talented Reed for a lower cost. The anticipated substantial effect of Davis’s departure is further mitigated by the promising performances of rookie cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw this season.

Any improbable concept can be replaced 1:1. Reed is not completely capable of replacing Davis as the Lions’ primary cornerback, as his performance disintegrates at an alarming rate. The PFF data merely serves as additional evidence.