Coach Dan Campbell says D.J. Reader is good to go in his debut with the Detroit Lions in Week 2. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are coming into Detroit to take on the 1-0 Lions. D.J. Reader will be in the middle of the Detroit Lions revamped defensive line. He missed Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams due to a quad injury.
D.J. Reader Makes Lions Debut
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D.J. Reader, former defensive tackle of the Cincinnati Bengals, will be making his Lion debut on Sunday. Reader signed a two-year contract in the offseason with Detroit. Brad Holmes added Reader to help revamp a defensive line and to help out the young phenom Aiden Hutchinson. The defensive tackle is coming off a good season with the Bengals, piling up 34 tackles and one sack in 14 games.
The stats for Reader may not jump out for the average fan, but he does the intangible things to help a defense. As a defensive tackle, he clogs up the middle, helping defend the run game, and opens up lanes for other defensive lineman and linebackers to get into the backfield.
D.J. Reader is joining a very talented and hungry Lions defensive line. The line includes Aiden Hutchinson, who is coming off a double-digit sack season, with two forced fumbles and two interceptions, Alim McNeill (who also added five sacks last season), and new addition Marcus Davenport. Davenport enters his seventh season after being a member of the Saints and the division-rival Vikings.
D.J. Reader vs. The Bucs
The Tampa Bay Bucs are a familiar foe to Reader. D.J. spent five years with the Saints who share the same NFC South division. Reader says he’s excited to make his Honolulu Blue debut. The defensive tackle could thrive against a mobile Baker Mayfield. Along with McNeill, Reader will be responsible for containing the mobility of Mayfield and clogging up the middle against the run game. Look for the Lions front four to be more energized and pumped up with Reader in the lineup.
Final Thoughts
The Detroit Lions needed to improve their defensive line in the offseason, and they definitely did just that. Bringing in D.J. Reader and Marcus Davenport was an upgrade to the position. Lions fans should be excited to see this beefed-up line. He was a member of the Bengal squad that made it to the Super Bowl in 2022, and he played a pivotal role on the defensive side of the ball.
Detroit’s run defense should definitely improve and the focus on Reader should open up opportunities for Hutch and company to cook. The Lions defensive line may just be too much for Baker Mayfield and the Bucs to handle.
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