Commanders predicted to sign former Lions $22 million defender in free agency

On the surface, the Washington Commanders don't look like they need anymore help along the defensive line.

Currently, the Commanders are bringing back Daron Payne, Javon Kinlaw and Jer'Zhan Newton, and they signed Tim Settle in free agency this offseason.

But Washington is also coming off a campaign in which it had one of the worst run defenses in the NFL and Payne, Newton and Kinlaw were all awful in that area in 2025.

Settle amounts to the best run defender of the group based on what we saw last year, but he only posted an average run defense grade in 2025 with a 61.3, according to Pro Football Focus, and he has typically played much worse than that during his career.

Knowing all that, it wouldn't be shocking to see Washington make more moves upfront, especially with the Commanders still having a ton of cap space.

And that's something Sports Grid's Paul Connor agrees with. He predicts Washington will sign former Detroit Lions defensive lineman D.J. Reader, who just completed a two-year, $22 million contract with the NFC North squad.

"DJ Reader continues to be one of the game's premier run-stuffers. The veteran played all 17 games in 2025 and is expected to find a short-term deal," Connor explained. "Washington ranked 30th in run defense last season. Head coach Dan Quinn needs a massive, immovable nose tackle to rebuild the defensive trenches."

In his second season removed from a serious injury, Reader bumped up his run defense grade to a 68.9 in 2025. That would amount to the best of the players mentioned before and we've seen Reader be an elite run defender in the past.

Given his age and lack of sack production, Spotrac is projecting a two-year, $7.7 million deal in free agency. Washington can easily afford that.

The Commanders could bring Reader in to their crowded defensive line room and hold a serious competition in free agency, or they could turn around and trade one of their returning players to clear space for the veteran.

Either way, it's a move the Commanders should consider.

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