Clemson in the NFL: DJ Reader to Bengals

Former Clemson defensive lineman DJ Reader is set to become the second-highest paid nose tackle in the NFL, as he has agreed to a four-year, $53 million deal with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Former Clemson defensive lineman DJ Reader is set to become the second-highest paid nose tackle in the NFL, as he has agreed to a four-year, $53 million deal with the Cincinnati Bengals.

The deal was reported by Ian Rapaport.

#Texans defensive tackle DJ Reader is expected to land with the #Bengals on a 4-year, $53M deal, source said. Cincy is in the free agent mix.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 17, 2020

Pro Football Focus ranked Reader as their 32nd best free agent this winter and here is what they had to say about the big defensive lineman.

Nose tackles upwards of 330 pounds aren’t as desirable as they used to be, so the good news is that D.J. Reader has been able to show that he is more than just a two-down run stuffer. Reader has played more snaps with each season of his NFL career and answered that increased workload with more pressures as a pass-rusher. This year he posted career-best marks in overall PFF grade (85.5), total pressures (36) and defensive stops (35), and he played over 600 snaps for the Texans. Reader will draw interest as a run stuffer, but he has proved that he can push the pocket and play on passing downs too, which is vital for his value.

Reader is formerly of the Houston Texans where he played his first and only four seasons in the NFL with. He is coming off a solid season where he totaled 52 tackles and 2.5 sacks while earning a very good 86.7 overall grade by Pro Football Focus.