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Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox argued the Dallas Cowboys are an ideal fit for veteran defensive tackle D.J. Reader.

The Dallas Cowboys already have two strong defensive tackles on their roster. Quite frankly, the team has a few bigger defensive needs. But that didn’t stop Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox from calling on the Cowboys to target D.J. Reader in NFL free agency.

Knox identified the Cowboys as one of the two best fits for Reader next season.

“D.J. Reader will turn 32 this summer and isn’t the sort of attacking interior pass-rusher that many teams want at defensive tackle. However, he remains a high-end starter, a legitimate force against the run, and a very durable defender,” wrote Knox.

“Reader would be a great addition for the Dallas Cowboys, who traded away Osa Odighizuwa and Solomon Thomas. He could serve as a run-stuffing specialist behind Kenny Clark and Quinnen Williams to help boost a defense that allowed 4.7 yards per carry in 2025.”

With the Detroit Lions last season, Reader posted 28 combined tackles with four quarterback hits. He didn’t have any sacks, but Knox sees the veteran defensive tackle as a specialist on running downs going forward.

Over his 10-year NFL career, Reader has 12.5 sacks, 27 tackles for loss, 56 quarterback hits and nine pass defenses in 137 games.

How D.J. Reader Could Fit With Cowboys Defense

The Cowboys biggest defensive emphasis this offseason has been on improving against the pass. Dallas was last in passing yards allowed and near the bottom (if not at the bottom) in several other pass defense categories.

Against the run, the Cowboys were a little better. But from an efficiency standpoint, the Cowboys were poor, finishing 26th in rushing yards allowed per attempt.

Adding someone such as Reader could shore up that area for Dallas.

Interestingly, according to the Pro Football Focus player grades from last season, Reader was actually better at pass rushing than in run defense. But before joining the Lions in 2024, Reader was always an elite run defender.

The defensive tackle posted good to elite PFF grades in run defense from 2016-23.

The Houston Texans drafted Reader at No. 166 overall in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He became a starter during the second half of his rookie 2016 season and then didn’t leave the Texans lineup from 2017-19.

With the Cincinnati Bengals, Reader started all 44 of his contests from 2020-23.

Primarily serving as an interior run stuffer, Reader hasn’t accumulated a lot of statistics. His best statistical season, though, was with Houston when he had 52 combined tackles, including six for loss in 2019. He also had 2.5 sacks and 13 quarterback hits that year.

Reader earned his best PFF grade (85.4) in 2019 as well. The defensive tackle, though, also registered an 85.2 and 82.2 overall grade from PFF in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

Do the Cowboys Really Need Reader?

As previously stated, the Cowboys have more pressing needs than defensive tackle. It’s also worth wondering if defensive tackle really is a significant need at all.

There’s little doubt Reader could upgrade the Cowboys run defense. But Dallas is likely counting on Quinnen Williams being that upgrade.

Williams only played seven games for Dallas last season. The Cowboys acquired the veteran defensive tackle at the 2025 trade deadline.

The difference in the team’s run defense after acquiring Williams was significant.

In three of Williams’s games, the Cowboys held opponents to under 80 rushing yards. Overall, the team allowed 99 rushing yards per game with Williams.

Without him, the Cowboys yielded 143.9 rushing yards per contest last season.

Reader could certainly improve upon the 99 rushing yards yielded per game for Dallas even with Williams.

But Williams is already a big upgrade for the Cowboys against the run. They will probably turn their attention to edge rusher and linebacker in the draft and the rest of free agency.

Dave Holcomb is a sports reporter covering the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions. Originally from Pittsburgh, Holcomb has covered college and professional sports for outlets including FanSided, Rotowire and Yardbarker. More about Dave Holcomb