Jets CB D.J. Reed is generally seen as the top free agent cornerback available this offseason and currently ranks No. 5 in our Top 100 2025 NFL Free Agents list.
That a 28-year-old cornerback who’s only 5-9 ranks so highly both speaks to the quality of this year’s crop of free agents, but also to the quality of the tape Reed has put out over the past few years.
The veteran dug everything he’s earned in the NFL out of the mud, entering the league as an unheralded fifth-round pick out of Kansas State. He played two years for the 49ers before San Francisco waived him coming out of camp in 2020. The Seahawks claimed him and Reed went on to force his way into the starting lineup for Seattle, defying the people type-casting him as just a slot corner. He’s a textbook example of the saying “it’s not the size of the dog but the size of the fight in the dog.”
Reed parlayed his strong performance in Seattle into a three-year, $33 million deal with the Jets. He’s lived up to that contract and put early-career injury woes largely behind him. Now he has the chance to test the market again and he should do well for himself with plenty of teams looking for a reliable No. 2 corner to shore up their secondary.
Reed, 28, was a fifth-round pick out of Kansas State by the 49ers in 2018. He played out the final year of his four-year, $2,771,371 rookie contract and made a base salary of $920,000 for the 2021 season.
The 49ers waived him with a non-football injury designation in 2020 and the Seahawks later claimed him off waivers.
The Jets signed Reed to a three-year, $33 million deal back in March of 2022.
In 2024, Reed appeared in 14 games for the Jets and recorded 64 total tackles, one sack and 11 pass deflections.
We have him included in our Top 100 2025 NFL Free Agents list.
Las Vegas Raiders
Reed’s diminutive stature will mean not every team will view him as a fit at outside corner. Coaches who have worked with him before will be far less worried about that, however, which makes a reunion with HC Pete Carroll in Las Vegas something to watch for Reed. The Raiders have tons of cap space, second-most of any team in fact according to Over The Cap, and will be looking to spend a pretty big chunk of that to overhaul the defense. Cornerback stands out as a need, with the Raiders’ most established corner, Nate Hobbs, slated to leave in free agency.
Beyond Hobbs, the Raiders have Jack Jones who is still trying to establish himself as a consistent, starting-level player as he enters the final year of his contract and a collection of young, developmental players. Reed would bring more of a consistent, veteran presence to the secondary and raise the floor of the unit. He’s a good fit for DC Patrick Graham’s system, and his past experience in Carroll’s program will make him an asset in the locker room as the Raiders try to overhaul their team culture.
New York Giants
Reed was about as definitive on closing the door on a return to the Jets as you’ll see from a pending free agent, but that doesn’t mean he has to leave New York. The Giants have come up as one of the teams most motivated to add to their secondary in the leadup to free agency after failing to do so last year and getting exposed for it all season. They don’t have as much cap space as some of the league-leading teams, but they’ve got enough to make a splash and they seem to be determined to do it at cornerback.
Perhaps Reed is ready to return to the West Coast or for a change of scenery after three seasons with the Jets. If he’s not ready to uproot, though, the Giants could have an X-factor in signing him as long as their contract offer is up to par. From a fit perspective, Reed would shore up the spot across from former Giants first-round CB Deonte Banks, who the team still hopes will develop into a more consistent player.
Atlanta Falcons
Improving the defense is the top priority for the Falcons this offseason, as Atlanta has high hopes for its young nucleus of talent on the other side of the ball. Falcons CB AJ Terrell is a quality No. 1 corner, but the other two cornerback spots are more up for grabs. Reed could be targeted by his former defensive coordinator, new Falcons DC Jeff Ulbrich, to play the same role in Atlanta he did in New York. It would be an easy transition, as Reed has played in a version of Ulbrich’s scheme his entire NFL career.
Price might be the only hangup. The Falcons are in the red right now and will have to make some cuts and restructures to have enough cap space to be active in free agency. But with only four draft picks this year, Atlanta might have no choice but to try and spend to make impact additions to a defense that needs it.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers have a lot of confidence in CB Joey Porter Jr. at one starting spot but the rest of their secondary is in question. Veterans Donte Jackson and Cameron Sutton are on expiring deals and it seems like the Steelers are ready to try something different in an effort to improve at cornerback. With nearly $60 million in effective cap space and avenues to get more, the Steelers have the budget to be aggressive in free agency.
That draws a natural the connection between Reed, the potential top corner on the market, and the Steelers. He’s a tenacious player who fits the culture the team wants to prioritize in players, and he has a proven track record of production. There’s not a direct schematic or coaching link, but Steelers HC Mike Tomlin is a draw for a lot of players and it wouldn’t be surprising if Reed finds the chance to play for Tomlin appealing.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers rank in about the middle of the NFL in available cap space this offseason but that is a bit of a misnomer as a significant portion of that will be earmarked for QB Brock Purdy. San Francisco is probably going to stay out of the feeding frenzy in the first week of free agency and look to the bargain aisle instead.
However, if Reed’s market is weaker than expected, the 49ers could be a sleeper team. There’s an obvious connection since Reed started his career in San Francisco, but the 49ers hired former Jets HC Robert Saleh as their defensive coordinator this offseason. Saleh was a big part in Reed coming to the Jets, so a reunion would make sense. The 49ers will need to replace veteran CB Charvarius Ward and Reed could fill that role.
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