Getty D'Andre Swift runs the ball for Georgia against Kentucky.
The Detroit Lions have a new running back in D’Andre Swift, but just how good is the situation the runner is entering as he comes into the NFL?
Since Detroit has been searching for an answer at running back since seemingly the days of Barry Sanders, the answer to that question might be pretty good. It might not be the best situation for any rookie in the NFL to enter, however.
Recently, Pro Football Focus took a look at ranking all of the situations the new rookies are entering. While most would feel Swift is in good position, analyst Michael Renner seems to think that there are a few rookies entering better spots across the league.
Renner ranked the Lions as the No. 6 best position for Swift, behind the likes of Jonathan Taylor, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, J.K. Dobbins, Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Cam Akers. The list went to 10, putting Detroit near the lower middle of the pack. The reasoning had everything to do with the fact that the team’s offensive line is a huge question mark for this coming season.
Renner said:
“Swift should have no issue taking the bulk of the touches away from 2018 second-rounder Kerryon Johnson, as injuries have zapped his effectiveness. Johnson has suffered knee injuries that forced him to miss extensive time in each of the past two seasons and has recurring shoulder problems, as well. He went from a 77.9 rushing grade in 2018 and 5.4 yards per carry to a 68.2 rushing grade last season and 3.6 yards per carry. The question with Swift will be how good his run blocking is. The Lions were a top-10 run-blocking team in 2019, but they lost one of their best players in Graham Glasgow and will need rookie third-rounder Jonah Jackson to hit the ground running.”
Obviously, what happens to the Detroit offensive front will be something to watch this season. If Jonah Jackson and Logan Stenberg can manage to lock things down, it will be huge for the team as it relates to turning things around for the future. Until they prove they can, however, the group is going to be looked at as a potential weakness for the offense.
Matt Patricia’s Expectations For D’Andre Swift
Joining The Rich Eisen Show on NBC Sports Network, Patricia was asked about the Swift effect and explained why the team was excited to pick him up when he was falling down the draft board on day 2 of the draft.
“Everything checked the boxes for us,” Patricia said. “A guy that we think is dynamic enough in the run game, explosive, a big playmaker but also can catch the ball, get out of the backfield, open up the formation and just put a lot of pressure on the defense and just make those plays that we need to be made.”
In terms of the actual role, Patricia wouldn’t commit to anything yet, but said that the team is going to be depending on a variety of players to do a variety of things within the team’s offense.
“I think there is competition at every spot, that’s how I like to term it when we get to training camp. I think of the running backs in general, I talk about this all the time, we’re going to try and play whomever’s going to help us that particular time in that particular game,” he said. “If you’re out there for the very first play or you get out there for the second play, I don’t rally understand the difference is between a starter in that case. We got Kerryon Johnson, Ty Johnson who we picked up, Bo Scarbrough who helped us last year, Wes Hills who we added last year. (Jason) Huntley. Certainly, we’re excited about being able to acquire Swift and get him on our team and seeing what he can do. Sometimes, you put 2 or 3 running backs out there. We’ll see what happens.”
Obviously, it’s going to be interesting to see who gets the majority of snaps, but it’s clear the coach is depending on everyone pulling their weight equally to help Detroit’s ground game.
Lions Credited For D’Andre Swift Addition
Following the draft finishing up, Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com took a look at some of the biggest themes from every team’s performance. When it came to the Lions, it was obvious there was a serious theme and it had everything to do with getting tougher in the trenches and improving what has been a severely weak running game.
Rosenthal wrote:
“From the selection of running back D’Andre Swift this year and Kerryon Johnson in 2018 to the interior line picks that GM Bob Quinn has made in the last few years, the Lions have invested a lot of capital in improving their running game — but they have yet to see great results. Quinn needs that vision to come together this season. Swift is the type of talent who can put the team’s running game over the top.”
With Kerryon Johnson, Bo Scarbrough and now D’Andre Swift, the Lions have a loaded backfield of former SEC standouts. More than that, the team was able to add guards to their stable in Jonah Jackson as well as Logan Stenberg, affectionately known as “Mr. Nasty.” Those players will try and change the narrative that the team simply can’t run the ball. If a ground game is like a mindset, the Lions have changed their mind more than a bit.
Following the draft, general manager Bob Quinn admitted that his team wants to change how they are viewed and get more physical up front. That will now be the goal heading into 2020.
D’Andre Swift Stats
Arguably the best runner on the board and a player who many figured would go off the board in the first round, Swift is a hard charging back out of Georgia who was tough in his career playing in the SEC. With 2,885 yards and 20 touchdowns in his career, there is little doubting how well Swift would do at toting the rock and fitting in well within Detroit’s backfield situation.
Swift coming from the SEC will be huge for him in terms of being able to fit in seamlessly to the team. Georgia has put a lot of great runners into the league lately, and the hope for Swift is that he can join the squad and become the next runner that follows in the footsteps of players like Todd Gurley, Sony Michel and Nick Chubb. All of them have become great, and Swift could be next. He could help Detroit’s ground game over the top in the process.
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