D.J. Reader

Reader is among the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL, and has played a key role in the Bengals ranking in the top 10 leaguewide in rushing defense each of the past two seasons (fifth in 2021, seventh in '22) ... Missed six games in 2022 regular season due to a left knee injury, but in 10 games started he recorded 27 tackles, four PDs, a FF and two FRs ... Driving force in Bengals holding two of the league's top three rushers, Titans RB Derrick Henry and Browns RB Nick Chubb, to under 40 yards ... Highly regarded for his combination of strength and football IQ, each of his four PDs were passes batted down at the line of scrimmage and came in a three-game stretch ... Was coveted free agent acquisition in 2020, after spending first four pro seasons with Houston ... Missed most of his first Bengals season due to a quad injury, but returned in '21 and had his best performances in postseason run to Super Bowl LVI ... Originally was a fifth-round pick of the Texans in 2016.

Pro Career:

• Reader is among the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL, and has played a key role in the Bengals ranking in the top 10 leaguewide in rushing defense each of the past two seasons (fifth in 2021, seventh in '22) ... Missed six games in 2022 regular season due to a left knee injury, but in 10 games started he recorded 27 tackles, four PDs, a FF and two FRs ... Driving force in Bengals holding two of the league's top three rushers, Titans RB Derrick Henry and Browns RB Nick Chubb, to under 40 yards ... Highly regarded for his combination of strength and football IQ, each of his four PDs were passes batted down at the line of scrimmage and came in a three-game stretch ... Was coveted free agent acquisition in 2020, after spending first four pro seasons with Houston ... Missed most of his first Bengals season due to a quad injury, but returned in '21 and had his best performances in postseason run to Super Bowl LVI ... Originally was a fifth-round pick of the Texans in 2016.

Career Transactions:

• Selected by Houston in fifth round of 2016 NFL Draft (166th overall) ... Signed with Texans on 5-6-16 ... Texans contract expired on 3-18-20; became unrestricted free agent ... Signed as unrestricted free agent with Cincinnati on 4-2-20.

2022 Season:

• Started 10 regular-season games and all three postseason contests at NT ... Spent six games on Reserve/Injured list due to left knee injury sustained in Game 3 ... Recorded 27 tackles (18 solos), with one TFL, four PDs, one FF and two FRs ... Anchored defensive line that helped Bengals rank seventh leaguewide in rushing defense (106.6 yards per game) ... Had five solo tackles on Sept. 18 at Dallas, and recovered a fumble forced by S Vonn Bell at Cincinnati's 26-yard line in the third quarter ... Posted five solo stops along with a batted-down pass at the line of scrimmage on Dec. 11 vs. Cleveland, and helped hold RB Nick Chubb to 34 rushing yards on 14 carries (2.4 average) ... Recorded four PDs in three-game stretch (Games 11-13) ... Logged eight tackles and a PD in postseason, with four stops in AFC Championship at Kansas City.

Previous Seasons:

• 2021—Played and started 15 regular-season games and all four postseason games at NT ... Missed Game 15 vs. Baltimore while on Reserve/COVID-19, and Game 17 at Cleveland while Cincinnati rested its starters for the playoffs ... Totaled 43 tackles and two sacks during the regular season, and helped Cincinnati rank fifth leaguewide in rushing defense (102.5 yards per game) ... Sacked Andy Dalton for an eight-yard loss on Sept. 19 at Chicago ... Head coach Zac Taylor said Reader "was superman out there" after dominant performance in Divisional Playoff win at Tennessee; Reader had six tackles, including three on RB Derrick Henry for either losses or no gain ... Started and played 45 snaps in Super Bowl LVI vs. L.A. Rams, and had a six-yard sack of Matthew Stafford to force a Rams punt in the third quarter ... Helped hold Rams to 1.9 yards per carry on 23 attempts.
• 2020—Played and started five games in first season with Cincinnati, before suffering season-ending left quad injury in Game 5 ... Totaled 19 tackles and two PDs ... Made Bengals debut on Sept. 13 vs. L.A. Chargers ... Posted six tackles on Sept. 17 at Cleveland ... Season-ending injury came in third quarter on Oct. 11 at Baltimore, and he was placed on Reserve/Injured the next day.
• 2019 (Texans)—Played and started 15 games for Houston, as well as both of the Texans' playoff games ... Recorded 52 tackles and 2.5 sacks ... On Sept. 22 at the L.A. Chargers, posted 1.5 sacks of Philip Rivers ... On Oct. 6 vs. Atlanta, recorded sack of Matt Ryan on third-and-two that forced Falcons punt and set up Texans TD drive ... Posted career-high seven tackles on Dec. 1 vs. New England ... Started both of Houston's postseason games, and totaled seven tackles.
• 2018 (Texans)—Started all 16 games for Houston ... Totaled 33 tackles and two sacks ... Helped Houston rank third in the NFL in rushing defense (82.7 yards/game) and tied for fourth in points allowed (19.8) ... Notched career-high two sacks on Sept. 9 at New England, both were takedowns of Tom Brady ... Started Houston's only postseason game on Jan. 5 vs. Indianapolis and had six tackles.
• 2017 (Texans)—Played and started 14 games for Houston ... Totaled 47 tackles and a sack ... His lone sack of the season came on Oct. 15 vs. Cleveland, when he took down Kevin Hogan.
• 2016 (Texans)—Played in all 16 games, and his seven starts were the fifth most by a rookie in franchise history and most since J.J. Watt in 2011 ... Totaled 22 tackles, one sack and a PD ... Helped Texans lead the NFL in total defense (301.3 yards/game) ... Made NFL debut on Sept. 11 vs. Chicago, and had one tackle ... Made first career start on Oct. 30 vs. Detroit, and logged his first career tackle for a loss ... On Nov. 13 at Jacksonville, started his second career game and logged his first career sack, bringing down Blake Bortles for an eight-yard loss in the fourth quarter ... Started both of Houston's postseason games, and had three tackles and a sack ... Sack came in Wild Card Playoff vs. Houston, when he took down Raiders QB Connor Cook.

College:

• Spent four seasons (2012-15) at Clemson ... Spent his first three seasons as a backup, before finding position as a starter as a senior ... Finished career with 145 tackles, including nine for losses and five sacks ... Team co-captain in as a senior in 2015 ... As a freshman in Spring 2013, he played first base and pitcher on Clemson's nationally ranked baseball team that had 12 future MLB draft picks (played in seven games).

High School/Personal:

• Hometown is Greensboro, N.C., where he attended Grimsley High School ... Racked up 50 tackles and five sacks as a senior ... Four-year letterman in football, basketball (starting center) and baseball ... Right-handed pitcher (clocked in the 90s) and DH (batted .529 as junior) in baseball, and was all-region selection and team's MVP as both junior and senior ... His mother, Felicia, played softball at North Carolina A&T from 1985-88, and his father, Glenn Ford, played football at Tennessee from 1978-80 ... Graduated from Clemson in December 2015 with a degree in communication studies.