For years, the Detroit Lions have used their running game as the engine to their high-powered offense, and it highlighted Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. While their roles as “Sonic & Knuckles” were interchangeable, last year signaled a shift as Gibbs became the unquestioned RB1 and Montgomery became lost in the shuffle as his backup.
As a result, Montgomery was traded to the Houston Texans, and the Lions tabbed free agent signing Isiah Pacheco to be Gibbs’s backup. But as the calendar turns to April, the Lions' running back situation remains fluid, and it could result in a change or two with the NFL Draft approaching in three weeks.
Lions Likely to Add Backup RB to Compete with Isiah Pacheco During NFL Draft
Gibbs doesn’t have much to worry about in the starting role, but the rest of the depth chart looks like a battle royal entering the draft. Pacheco has a solid overall resume, running for 2,537 yards and 14 touchdowns over four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. But he also has taken a downturn over the past two seasons, watching his yards per carry drop from 4.7 yards per carry in his first two years to 3.8 yards per carry.
With Pro Football Focus crediting Pacheco with two breakaway runs (defined as designed runs over 15 yards) over the last two years, it’s not a sure bet that his explosiveness will suddenly return. That could open the door for incumbents Jacob Saylors and Sione Vaki to seize an opportunity. But neither has extensive experience getting the ball in the regular season, which could turn Detroit’s attention to the draft.
This year’s class isn’t as deep as the past few, and it’s unlikely the Lions would go all-in to trade up for Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love, who is the top running back in the draft. NFL Mock Draft Database’s consensus big board is also low on this year’s class, with just four running backs in the top 100 spots, but it doesn’t take much for a Day 3 player to become a contributor, as Pacheco entered the league as a seventh-round pick.
Love’s Irish teammate Jadarian Price is an option that ranks 46th on the consensus big board, while Arkansas’s Mike Washington Jr. (No. 65) and Washington’s Jonah Coleman (No. 90) will also be in consideration on Day 2. The third day presents even more options, including Nebraska’s Emmett Johnson (No. 108), Penn State’s Nick Singleton (No. 131), and Wake Forest’s Demond Claiborne (No. 142), who all have more explosiveness than Pacheco has shown in Kansas City the past two seasons.
If the Lions don’t take a running back in the draft, they could still create more competition in free agency. While Joe Mixon, Najee Harris, and Nick Chubb are some of the names that should be available toward the end of April, the draft may be the best way to fill the void to find someone who can bring explosiveness and upside to the No. 2 role.
With Pacheco signed to a one-year, $1.8 million contract in free agency, there’s not a massive commitment that would hold the Lions back if he were outperformed by a rookie. It means that more additions could be coming to the Lions' backfield as they look to keep their running game going despite Montgomery’s departure.