Detroit Lions cornerback D.J. Reed is quite impressed with the level of talent featured in the new secondary room he has joined.
After signing a three-year free agent contract, the veteran defensive back has gravitated towards the growth mindset of the roster and the coaching staff.
Speaking with Lions OnSI after practice Thursday, Reed shared his early impression of the team, his time at OTAs and what the next five weeks look like in his calander.
**Questions and answers were lightly edited for length and clarity
Give us your thoughts about the time you spent at OTAs
D.J. Reed: I love it. Just everybody here is on the same page. Everybody here is locked in, focused on one goal, and that's to win the Super Bowl. And it's a day-to-day process. And we attack that each and every day. From the nutritionist, to the strength and conditioning coaches, to the physical trainers and to our coaches. The coaches really hold everybody accountable. And that's what I really appreciate. And every day, it's just a growth mindset to get better. It's football utopia for me.
You had the previous experience of going to a new team when you went to the Jets. Does that kind of experience help you when you start with a new team here with the Lions?
Reed: Absolutely. I'm definitely grateful for my time in New York. Played with a lot of great teammates, a lot of great players. And yeah, I needed to go through that. I feel like just to get gratitude -- just on my football journey. And I was just telling my sister yesterday, this is the most fun I'm having playing football since I can't remember when. So I got that, that kind of kid enjoyment of playing football again, which feels phenomenal.
What about playing for the Detroit Lions makes it so fun for you?
Reed: I think it's a little bit of everything. I think our room is hilarious. We got some funny guys in our room, so that that definitely helps. And that was noticed on day one. All the guys are fairly young, so you just don't know what to expect sometimes in the room, which is pretty funny. But at the same time, we got guys that are hungry, guys that have goals, guys that want to do great things individually and on a team basis.
So, it's fun because like we joke around, but when it's time to get to work, we get to work. And the coaches too. Like, there is a time to play around, but then when it's time to coach and it's time to take notes in the classroom, it's time to do walkthroughs, we transition and we go 0 to 100 -- as far as locking in. But everybody is just on board here, which is a rarity in the league, as far as like the equipment manager, everybody is on their job at 100 percent. Like, it's really impressive. It's really impressive.
We're getting our first look at Ennis Rakestraw playing on the outside. You had a couple of practices with him. Ennis is a young player looking to grow in his second year. What are your early thoughts about what he can bring to the table for you guys?
Reed: I'm very impressed with Ennis over these last couple of weeks. I thought he has done a phenomenal job. He's very fast. He could run with anybody. He plays with great eye discipline. He changes up his releases at the line of scrimmage when he presses. So, it keeps receivers guessing. And he's very smart in his defense. You have to be very smart to play it, and he's doing all the little things right. So yeah, I'm very happy to see what he could do this year."
All eyes, at least from the outside, are on number one, Jameson Williams. A speedy talent. You can see his play just pops off (when we watch). He has become a little bit stronger this offseason. How good can that help a secondary to to go up against a guy like that, that's a young, speedy wideout?
Reed: Yeah Jamo, he's a great receiver. The first thing you notice is his stride. Like, he's really fast, but his stride -- like, once he gets to once he gets to running, you know, he's pretty hard to catch because he's a fast guy. I think one thing that's underrated about his game is his catching ability. He has really good hands. Like we do these punt return drills. He's catching the ball with his fingertips, catching the ball like a receiver. He does like a lot of impressive stuff. So, he's a he's a great receiver and I'm expecting a big year out of him as well."
You personally, you are a veteran, you understand what this league is about. You've been through tough times with the Jets. You've seen a lot of things around the game of football. For you, what is this season going to be about for you?
Reed: Man, I'm just grateful to be a part of this team. For me, I just want to, you know, do my job, which is to lock down receivers and to help my team win. That's really my job. This year, for me personally, I want to get the ball. I didn't get any interceptions last year. So, that's something that I've been emphasizing in my game. Just with doing drills, is just finding those opportunities to attack and get the ball. So, that's my emphasis.
What does the next five weeks look like for you before you guys report to training camp at the end of July?
Reed: My first week, I'm actually going to stay here. Just do some light running. Some light rehab. You know, just kind of let my body calm down, and I'm gonna spend time with my wife. She has to stay out here with the kids because she's almost due. So, she can't fly. I'm gonna be out here for another week. And then after that, I'm gonna go to Los Angeles. That's where I live, and I'm gonna train there.
