Could former Clemson standout — and current NFL free agent – D.J. Reader be a good fit for this particular NFL team?

With the first wave of free agency over, NFL.com’s Nick Shook named the best NFL team fits for various notable players still on the free agent market.

According to Shook, the Las Vegas Raiders are the top fit for Reader, the now 31-year-old defensive tackle.

“Reader remains unsigned more than a week after the free agency negotiation period began — likely a product of misaligned market value expectations — and the available jobs have dwindled,” Shook wrote. “Reader could probably find a less lucrative, rotational role with teams like Detroit, Baltimore, Buffalo or Cincinnati, but if he wants to cash in (relatively speaking) with a team that has become intriguing after a busy offseason, why not head for Las Vegas? Its current projected starter alongside Adam Butler, defensive tackle Jonah Laulu, has just two seasons of experience and ranked 126th out of 134 interior defensive linemen in 2025, per Pro Football Focus. Toss Reader into that room as a veteran who could serve as somewhat of a stopgap and show the younger guy(s) how to become a productive pro.”

After being drafted by the Houston Texans in the fifth round (166th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft, Reader spent the first four seasons of his NFL career (2016-19) in Houston before playing four years with the Cincinnati Bengals from 2020-23. He then signed a two-year deal with the Detroit Lions prior to the 2024 campaign before hitting the free agent market this offseason.

During his first year in Detroit in 2024, Reader started all 15 games he played in, tallying 23 total tackles, four tackles for loss, three sacks, eight quarterback hits and one pass defended. In 2025, he started all 17 games for the Lions, recording 28 total tackles and four quarterback hits.

Over his 10-year career with the Texans, Bengals and Lions, Reader has posted 328 total tackles, 27 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks to go with 56 quarterback hits, nine passes defended, three fumble recoveries and one forced fumble across 137 games (128 starts).

Reader ranks No. 21 overall in Pro Football Focus’s 2026 NFL free agency rankings, and PFF recently listed him as one veteran free agent who’s “flying under the radar.”