Former Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle DJ Reader was a force in his four seasons in stripes. During some of the most successful seasons the Bengals have had in recent memory,
Reader was there as the anchor in the middle. With Reader moving on to the Detroit Lions, the Bengals are now tasked with replacing his nearly 38 snaps per game.
The free agent signing of Sheldon Rankins was more to address interior pass rush than to replace Reader’s run-stopping ability, so the Bengals turned to the NFL Draft to look for their new nose tackle.