With Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery penciled in at the top of the depth chart, the Detroit Lions have one of, if not the best, running back tandems in the league on their roster.
Those two are the workhorses of the Lions' rushing attack. Dan Campbell isn't shy about asking them to carry the load, either, as evidenced by the 435 carries the duo combined for during the 2024 season. Fortunately for Detroit, there is quality behind Gibbs and Montgomery on the depth chart as Craig Reynolds and 2024 fourth-round draft pick Sione Vaki are set to return for the 2025 campaign.
Having that sort of continuity in the running back room is a great thing for the Lions as a team. However, it makes the task of cracking the final roster much more difficult for a local product who signed as an undrafted free agent in April.
Hometown Hero RB Anthony Tyus III's Days with Lions Are Numbered
There is always an added element of pressure when attempting to make a team as an undrafted player. Attempting to do that with the team you grew up watching while a prep football star is a different level of pressure altogether, and that is what Anthony Tyus III faces entering Detroit's training camp.
After an illustrious high school career where Tyus III helped lead Portage Northern High School to the program's first district titles in 2018 and 2019, the running back committed to the Northwestern Wildcats over a host of other Power Five offers. Unfortunately, Tyus III never had the opportunity to be "the guy" at Northwestern and elected to transfer to the University of Ohio for his senior season to prove his worth. After gaining 1,234 yards and scoring nine total touchdowns, the decision to transfer was the right one, and it has now put him in camp with the Lions.
The likelihood of Detroit carrying five running backs on its 53-man roster appears slim, though. Barring an injury, the quartet that made up the running back room last season is likely to remain in place. There isn't even a path for Tyus III through special teams, as the kick returner role is one that Vaki took on as a rookie.
While fans will certainly be pulling for him, Tyus III is going to face an uphill battle to make the Lions' final roster out of camp.