It didn't take long for the Detroit Lions to find their replacement for Carlton Davis.
Davis was set to test the free agent market this offseason after spending a year in Detroit and immediately found a new team.
That led the Lions with a glaring need at cornerback as the team struggled against the pass when Davis was unavailable at the end of last season.
Shortly after news broke that Davis had found his new team, the Lions found the player that would replace him as their CB1.
According to Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz, the Lions plan to sign former New York Jets cornerback D.J. Reed to a three-year deal worth $48 million.
Lions fans were waiting to see the team make a big move this offseason to keep themselves in Super Bowl contention and this is exactly that kind of move for them.
Reed is a player that was regularly brought up as a potential target for them this offseason and it's easy to see why.
Pro Football Focus had him ranked as their top free agent cornerback. ESPN's Matt Bowen ranked Reed as the best overall free agent in the 2025 class.
Those rankings aren't a surprise given Reed's performances with the Jets. In 2023, he held opposing QB to a 58.8% completion percentage and just 6.6 yards per target when they threw in his direction.
Despite some regression from the Jets' defense after Robert Saleh was fired in 2024, Reed actually got better.
His completion percentage allowed dropped to 57.1% and he gave up just 6.4 yards per target this past season.
If Lions fans were waiting for a statement from the front office, this is it.
Reed immediately improves a defense that was already showing some positives last season before it was decimated by injuries and ensures the team has a dependable CB1 for the next few seasons.
They also did it while paying $4 million per year less than what Davis is getting on his new deal.
The Lions are off to a strong start in free agency.
