The Ravens hosted defensive tackle D.J. Reader for a visit this week, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. The 10-year veteran also underwent an all-important physical, but left Baltimore without a deal and will likely sign with a team after April’s draft. That may not necessarily be the Ravens.
Reader, 31, started 32 games for the Lions over the past two seasons but did not log a single sack or tackle for loss in 2025. That is not especially alarming for a 330-pound linemen who has never been the most productive player in terms of counting statistics. Over the last decade, he has just 12.5 sacks and 27 TFLs, but he has consistently made a bigger impact as a space-eater in the middle of the trenches.
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2025 is a perfect example. Reader’s 10.5% pass rush win rate ranked 37th out of 101 DTs with at least 100 snaps, per Pro Football Focus, just ahead of Travis Jones at 10.3%. He was less effective against the run with a below average run stop rate, but his 6.3% missed tackle rate was his best mark since 2018. So, while Reader does not consistently stuff the stat sheet, he is still more than capable of collapsing pockets and creating opportunities for his teammates.
Baltimore already has three nose tackles on the roster: Jones, John Jenkins, and C.J. Okoye. Reader offers more upside than the latter two. Both were solid injury replacements last year, but they have no guaranteed money on their contracts and cannot be considered roster locks for 2026.
Reader is coming off two straight contracts worth more than $10 million per year, but he will not get that much on his next deal. Dalvin Tomlinson’s $6.2 million APY seems like a hard ceiling for Reader, but his age and declining production may drop him below $5 million per year, closer to Nathan Shepherd and Roy Robertson-Harris.
Readier’s visit comes the same week as an update on Nnamdi Madubuike from ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. He reports “growing optimism” on his recovery from the neck injury that ended his 2025 season, collapsed the Ravens’ pass rush, and seemed to threaten Madubuike’s career. A full return from the two-time Pro Bowler could reinvigorate Baltimore’s play in the trenches, especially with Trey Hendrickson joining the defensive line as well.
