Pros and Cons of Lions Signing Reed Blankenship

Should the Lions target Blankenship this offseason?

Oct 26, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles safety Reed Blankenship (32) against the New York Giants at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions will likely explore multiple options to strengthen their defensive backs room this offseason, and one intriguing — yet risky — name to monitor is Philadelphia Eagles strong safety Reed Blankenship. 

While Blankenship brings experience and youth to the table, his underwhelming 2025 campaign makes him a complicated impending free agent to evaluate. 

From an age and experience standpoint, Blankenship is appealing. 

At just 26 years old, he’s still theoretically in his prime and has already demonstrated the ability to produce at a high level. Across the 2023 and 2024 seasons, the Middle Tennessee State product secured 17 passes defensed and seven interceptions.

Plus, he earned Pro Football Focus overall grades of 73.4 and 74.4 during that stretch, solid numbers for a starting-caliber safety. 

For Detroit, depth at safety could be a legitimate concern. 

With the health of both Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph in question entering 2026, adding an experienced defensive back who has started meaningful games for a contender could provide much-needed insurance.

Blankenship also wouldn’t be learning from scratch in a competitive environment. 

Having played in a defense with perennial playoff ambitions in Philadelphia, he understands high expectations, something that aligns with where Detroit sees itself heading under general manager Brad Holmes.

However, the red flags with Blankenship are impossible to ignore, as he took a major step back in 2025.

In fact, this past season, he recorded just one interception, and earned a dismal 46.5 Pro Football Focus overall grade for his efforts. The overall mark ranked just 92nd out of 98 qualified strong safeties. It also paled in comparison to his PFF overall grades from 2023 and 2024 (73.4 and 74.4, respectively).

He also received a PFF coverage grade of just 32.7 in 2025, a career-worst mark and the second-worst coverage grade of all qualified safeties.

Coming off a highly disappointing 2025 campaign, Blankenship should hardly be a top target in free agency for the Lions.

Spotrac is currently projecting the defensive back to land a two-year deal worth $14,388,746, equating to an annual salary of roughly $7.2 million. That might be a bit rich for Holmes’ blood, and I wouldn't blame him if that's the case.

I don't care how much Blankenship still might be in the prime of his career. At this juncture, I wouldn't ink him to any kind of multi-year pact worth $7 million or more a year.

Subsequently, I believe that Holmes & Co. will steer clear of Blankenship this offseason.