. Reed got toasted on one of the plays that sold Dan Campbell on Reed as a fit for the Detroit Lions defense.
“They’re playing, it was early in the year, it was crossover tape,” Campbell said Tuesday at the NFL’s annual spring meeting. “He got beat on the play. He actually got beat. And to watch him put his foot in the ground, kind of stumble out from one of the rare times you get beat, but you get beat at corner, right? That’s part of this league.
“He gets beat, he puts his foot in the ground and I mean he is on an all out. He doesn’t have time to think about it, recover. He’s just on a beeline to try to angle this guy off. And I thought that was one of the most impressive things, man. This guy, he doesn’t go in the tank. He’s not worried about what it looks like. He’s just trying to compete and win and he lines up and goes back for more. And that says it all.”
Denver Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton has a pass knocked away by New York Jets cornerback D.J. Reed during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium, Sept. 29, 2024 in East Rutherford, N.J.
The Lions signed Reed to a three-year, $48 million contract at the start of free agency to be their No. 1 cornerback after Carlton Davis III left to sign with the New England Patriots.
Reed had 11 pass deflections in 14 games with the New York Jets last season and has started the vast majority of his seven-year NFL career as an outside corner.
He projects to play that position with the Lions this fall, opposite of second-year cornerback Terrion Arnold, in a secondary that returns four of five starters. Arnold made 15 starts, had 10 pass deflections and led the league in pass interference penalties as a rookie. Amik Robertson played as the Lions’ primary slot cornerback before moving outside because of an injury to Davis late in the year. And the Lions have one of the best safety tandems in the NFL in Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch.
Campbell shared his thoughts on Reed and the Lions’ other top free agent additions, defensive tackle Roy Lopez and linebacker Grant Stuard, on Tuesday and said all three will have roles as “competitive, productive players” who “don’t back down from anybody” on the Lions defense.
“Let’s start with Reed, man,” Campbell said. “He’s got coverability. He can play man-to-man, start there, but then he’ll bite on the perimeter. He’ll come up, he’ll tackle, he’ll squeeze the edges. And then when you see him in press man, he challenges. He’s not giving you free releases. Now, he’ll mix it up and then he’ll challenge you at the catch point. Man, he’s feisty, he’s competitive.”
Like Reed, Campbell said Lopez caught his attention in a game that others might have looked at through a different prism.
Oct 13, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Indianapolis Colts linebacker Grant Stuard (41) during pregame warmups against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
The Lions ran for 187 yards in a Week 3 win over the Arizona Cardinals last season, when Campbell said he was impressed with Lopez’s play on a three-tackle day.
“I mean, him going against Frank (Ragnow) all day,” Campbell said. “We ran the heck out of the ball, but man, that guy held his own now and we got a pretty damn good center. So that was impressive, that among others.”
Lopez projects to play mostly a two-down role this fall on the Lions’ defensive line, where he’s expected to help cover for the absence of the injured Alim McNeill early in the year.
“He’s a down and dirty,” Campbell said. “Doesn’t mean he can’t play third down, but he lives in base a lot, man. He’s taking on the double teams, he’s keeping people off the backers. He can get an edge on you and he’ll just do it time out, time in, time out, again over and over.”
Stuard was a core special teams player and rotational linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts last season and should play a similar role for the Lions this fall.
The Lions return starting linebackers Jack Campbell, Alex Anzalone and Derrick Barnes, but fourth linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez is returning from a torn ACL, which could open defensive snaps for Stuard.
“Stuard can do it all, man,” Campbell said. “He’s a guy that’s been counted out but just continues to make plays in this league. He’s a dynamic special teams player in my opinion. And he can play defense. I mean he played defense against us.”
Stuard had a career-high 19 tackles in an October win over the Miami Dolphins last season and made three stops in 27 defensive snaps against the Lions.
Along with his play, Campbell said the Lions were attracted to Stuard by the chip he carries on his shoulder on the field.
“That’s a guy that flies under the radar,” Campbell said. “This guy’s an unbelievable special teams player and he can play defense, too. And maybe offense.”
Dave Birkett is the author of the book, “Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline.” Order your copyhere. Contact him at
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