With the 2025 free agency period about to open, you can bet the Pittsburgh Steelers will be active. General manager Omar Khan has roughly $60 million in salary cap space to work with and, with the pressure on after an eighth consecutive season without a playoff win, owner Art Rooney II and head coach Mike Tomlin will want to leave no stone unturned.
But free agency is more than just throwing a bag of money at several players. The Steelers need to do their homework to identify which players are worth lofty contracts and who will fit with the program in Pittsburgh.
Pro Football Focus did the work for them.
In a recent PFF article, Bradley Locker broke down one perfect free agent fit for each NFL team. For the Steelers, Locker believes that New York Jets cornerback D.J. Reed is a match made in heaven for Pittsburgh.
"Over the past two years, the Steelers rank 10th in press coverage snaps, and they relied predominantly on Cover 3 and Cover 1 last season (both more than 30% of the time)," Locker wrote. "Reed generally checks all three boxes. His 79.8 PFF coverage grade in press coverage since 2022 ranks fifth among qualified cornerbacks. On top of that, he has produced a 70.7 PFF coverage grade in Cover 1 and a 68.9 mark in Cover 3."
Locker also noted that the Steelers' cap space would allow them to make a significant play for a cornerback or wide receiver in free agency, and Reed fits the bill.
Pittsburgh Steelers could target New York Jets cornerback D.J. Reed
It's not hard to go along with what Locker wrote. Over D.J. Reed's seven NFL seasons, he's been the epitome of consistency—never ranking outside of the top 31 cornerbacks since his rookie season in 2018 and earning an overall grade of over 70.5 in every season since 2019.
At 28 years old, Reed should have a few good years left in the tank, and his experience would be a welcome addition to the secondary.
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However, there is some cause for concern if the Steelers are to go this route in free agency. Though Reed is an excellent football player, he has an underwhelming size/athletic profile. He entered the league at 5'9 1/8'' and 188 pounds with 4.51 speed.
Additionally, Reed doesn't have elite ball production with just six interceptions in seven NFL seasons. Last year, Reed failed to record a pick and he has just two interceptions over the past three seasons (46 starts). Moreover, Reed plays the vast majority of his snaps as a boundary cornerback despite having the size profile of a nickel CB.
While the Steelers could look for a taller, longer prospect on the outside, Mike Tomlin wasn't concerned about size when he traded for Donte Jackson last offseason. Jackson is just 5'10 1/2'' and 178 pounds with shorter arms, so these thresholds already went out the window last season.
With Reed, however, the tape speaks for itself. He's been a reliable cornerback in the NFL and that shouldn't change on a new team. It's safe to expect the Pittsburgh Steelers to show interest in Reed when the negotiation period opens up.