The New York Jets are preparing to watch a large portion of their roster enter free agency next month.
Several starters on both sides of the ball could have new teams in 2025, including standout corner D.J. Reed, who played in 14 games in 2024 and collected 64 tackles, 11 pass deflections, and four tackles for loss.
Reed earned a respectable 70.7 Pro Football Focus grade, which ranked 43rd out of 223 qualified cornerbacks. The corner not only locked down his side of the field, but also helped against the run, earning a 71.8 run defense grade.
The veteran has been underrated due to playing opposite the elite Sauce Gardner, but Reed has long been a reliable corner on the boundary in his own right.
Mason Cameron of Pro Football Focus recently identified an ideal free agent each NFL team should sign. For the Steelers, Cameron named Reed as a solid option.
Regarding Reed and the Steelers, Cameron offered the following:
Pittsburgh needs more top-end talent at the skill positions to round out its roster — along with a passer — and snagging two natural fits in spots of need would pay off massively. Reed would provide a natural fit in the Steelers’ single-high defense, having run a significant rate of closed coverages in his time in New York.
Spotrac projects Reed to land a four-year deal worth $14.7 million annually. Over the Cap projects the Steelers to have around $60 million in cap space this offseason, so a splashy addition like Reed is certainly possible.
Reed would be a welcomed addition in Pittsburgh. Joey Porter Jr. is solid on one side, but the other starting corner spot needs to be filled as Donte Jackson is set to enter free agency. Jackson collected five interceptions in 2024, but the veteran was mediocre in coverage, earning a 50.0 Pro Football Focus grade.
2025 will be Reed’s eighth season in the league. The veteran has spent time with the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, and Jets. Reed has collected six interceptions, 51 pass deflections, and 414 tackles in his career.
Reed has also been healthy for the most part in his career. The corner has played in at least 14 games in six of his seven seasons.
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