The idea of a free safety has slipped into basketball discourse over the past several seasons. Of course, it's not a position in basketball, but the idea of wreaking havoc and blowing up plays off the ball like a traditional free safety has quickly become something media pundits and coaches often discuss.
Recently, Utah Jazz rookie Darryn Peterson noted that head coach Will Hardy had him watch Baltimore Ravens legend Ed Reed to help him improve his defense.
Ed Reed mentality on defense 😤@Ravens 🤝 #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/fZT313dEkT
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) July 7, 2026
If you are a Ravens fan who loves hoops, it's hard not to smile after hearing this.
As noted, channelling a free safety mentality isn't a revolutionary concept. Still, it's a testament to his greatness that more than a decade after his retirement, teams in a different sport are encouraging their players to watch Reed. And there's no denying that Peterson could learn a thing or two from the Hall of Famer.
While the idea of free safety is mentioned in basketball discourse, actually modeling his defensive game after Reed is highly unique, and this could help Peterson separate himself from his NBA peers.
Darryn Peterson could learn a lot from Baltimore Ravens legend Ed Reed
If you aren't familiar with Peterson's game, he was the No. 2 pick out of Kansas. He is a dynamic shooting guard who excels at making difficult shots, averaging 20.2 points in college. This alone should set him up for NBA stardom. Peterson has potential to be a true two-way superstar, though.
During his lone season at Kansas, Peterson was highly disruptive as an off-ball defender. Notably, he averaged 2.0 stocks (steals plus-blocks). This is exactly where the Reed comparison comes into play.
Players who are primarily used off the ball on defense are similar to safeties in that they can force turnovers and are generally disruptive as help-side defenders. Peterson's on-ball defense isn't stellar, but he can thrive in this off-ball free safety-like role.
While the initial similarities are there, continued growth, including learning translatable skills from Reed could help Peterson live up to his two-way ceiling.
Reed was known as the ultimate ball hawk. He recorded 64 interceptions throughout his career, and led the league in interceptions three separate times. Beyond that, Reed would often come out of nowhere to blow up plays.
In short, this ability to force turnovers, make big plays and his elite football IQ is why Reed is an all-time great. Likewise, this is why Reed has long been viewed as anembodiment of the Ravens' defensive identity.
It's also worth noting that Peterson's passion for the game was (somewhat unfairly) questioned due to nagging injury problems. As such, in addition to the basketball advantages, channeling some of Reed's motor and passion could make these concerns look flat-out foolish.
Overall, even in a different sport, there's a lot to learn from Reed, and in the end, this could help Peterson fulfill his true two-way upside. At the very least, Ravens fans now have a fun reason to be a bit more invested in Peterson's career growth.
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