The Green Bay Packers have seen changes come on the defensive side of the ball after naming Jonathan Gannon the defensive coordinator. With a new scheme being incorporated, it appears that the Packers will have a 3-4 defensive front.
Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated pointed out that head coach Matt LaFleur named DeMarcus Covington as outside linebackers coach, defensive run-game coordinator, and assistant head coach, which is a change from last year, when he was the defensive line coach.
With a new front expected to be trotted out, the Packers need a run-stuffing defensive tackle in the middle, and D.J. Reader is the best option available. With free agency set to enter its third week, Green Bay would be wise to consider adding Reader.
Packers Should Think About Signing D.J. Reader After Hinted 3–4 Change
When taking a look at the current depth chart, Jonathan Ford and Nazir Stackhouse would be the players asked to fill in that role. Yet, neither player has shown enough to be handed that role. Ford has 15 total tackles and one TFL in 13 career games. Meanwhile, Stackhouse logged 12 total tackles in 13 outings as a rookie.
These numbers clearly indicate the Packers need more, which is why Reader makes sense. He's a 10-year vet who has played with the Houston Texans, Cincinnati Bengals, and the Detroit Lions. In 137 career games (128 starts), he has compiled 328 total tackles, 27 TFLs, 56 QB hits, and 12.5 sacks.
Reader's production probably won't revert to the days of his prime, as he's set to turn 32 years old in July, but he's been steady throughout his career, and his stats on Pro Football Focus showcase that.
Season | Overall Grade | Pass Rush Grade | Run Defense Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
2025 | 68.9 | 72.6 | 61.7 |
2024 | 66.5 | 64.5 | 62.6 |
2023 | 82.2 | 79.1 | 75.3 |
2022 | 85.2 | 84.1 | 70.8 |
2021 | 79.5 | 68.3 | 77.2 |
2020 | 69.6 | 60.7 | 69.3 |
2019 | 85.4 | 72.5 | 85.1 |
2018 | 76.1 | 62.0 | 77.1 |
2017 | 79.2 | 72.2 | 76.4 |
2016 | 70.1 | 65.6 | 65.2 |
Of course, PFF grades aren't the end-all, be-all, but they still paint a picture of how a player looks on the field. And based on how the Packers look at defensive tackle, it's certainly worth a shot for the Packers to sign Reader.
He stands at 6'3" and weighs 330 pounds. The Clemson product is used as a run-stuffer along the interior and would give the Packers a veteran at the position. Signing him also wouldn't stop them from adding another DT in the draft, but they wouldn't have to lean on players with three or fewer NFL seasons of experience.
The Packers are expected to trot out a new defensive front in 2026, and they have a big void at nose tackle. Adding Reader would fill that gap and would be a low-cost deal at this point in free agency. Spotrac projects that Reader's market value to be a two-year, $7.7 million deal ($3.9 million per season). If the deal is in that range, it seems like a no-brainer for the Packers, as it wouldn't have any real impact on their cap situation.
Overthecap says that the Packers currently have $22 million available, so they could easily get something done if they wanted. Nose tackle is a sneaky need for Green Bay, and Reader is unsigned and could help fix that problem for this team.