When you think of core players on an NFL team, you think about quarterback or edge rushers. You think about offense and you think about defense. One thing you don’t think about is the special teams guys. Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell thinks about it a lot. On Tuesday he called the returning Jalen Reeves-Maybin one of the Lions core players.
“He’s a starter for one of our core teams. I mean we play with three phases and he’s the best player in the league on one of the three units that we use to win games, we don’t just play with two units. So it was pivotal.”
Reeves-Maybin had a monster year for the Lions that saw him lead the league in special teams tackles, make the Pro Bowl and also make his first All-Pro team. For that he was rewarded with the largest special teams contract in NFL history. Campbell couldn’t have been happier to have him back.
“I think it’s huge. And JRM was one of those guys that that he was a core player for us and he’s the best special teams player in the league.” Campbell said. “To be able to get him resigned was huge and he’s a vital part of what we do. He is part of the foundation in my opinion.”
Reeves-Maybin mostly plays special teams, but he did play 92 snaps on defense in 2023 and he played pretty well in those snaps. He began play 10 or more defensive snaps in at a weekly clip in the last six games and then in the playoffs. He put up some great numbers in that time. There were multiple occasions where he would be the Lions highest graded defender of the game per Pro Football Focus. One of those instances was when he had a 97.5 grade against the Rams in the playoffs.
Reeves-Maybin was also responsible for two huge fake punts this season. The first was against the Chiefs from the Lions own 17-yard line when he ran the ball for a first down. The second one was this big 31-yard pass to Khalil Dorsey against the Cowboys.