Getty Craig Reynolds runs the ball for the Lions against the Broncos in 2021.
The Detroit Lions have waited seemingly forever to have any semblance of a running game, and in 2021, they look to have found the kind of depth that teams across the league envy at running back.
Not only do the Lions have a pair of players in D’Andre Swift as well as Jamaal Williams who have been impressive, but backups Jermar Jefferson and Godwin Igwebuike have both had their moments in the sun as well this season at times. Then, in Week 14, a new stud emerged in Craig Reynolds.
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Lions fans will remember how good Reynolds looked in the preseason, and while he was not able to crack the roster, he did stick around on the practice squad continuing to get work at honing his craft. When injury and illness disaster struck the Lions this past week, Reynolds got the call and managed to get the job done in a big way for his team.
With 83 yards on the ground, there wasn’t much drop off between the Reynolds fans remembered from preseason and the player who got the majority of carries in Week 14. That’s special to note, and Reynolds’ hard work was also called out in a big way by another source.
Pro Football Focus named Reynolds their top-graded running back of Week 14 with an 84.0 grade. The news was revealed on Twitter Monday, December 13.
Highest graded RB in Week 14 (min. 25 snaps)
Craig Reynolds (84.0)
Off the bench and onto the field, Reynolds has impressed this year in a major way for the Lions. Every time he has been called upon, he has delivered. It’s making it impossible to seem that any success he has is just a flash in the pan. To come off the street and stick around an NFL roster is one thing, but to be called up from the practice squad late season and deliver is another.
This is yet another example of how much of a star Reynolds can become.
Reynolds Helping His Chances for 2022 Roster Inclusion
It would have been tempting for folks to write off Reynolds or forget about him entirely based on the fact that the preseason was long ago and it’s a completely different animal than the regular season. Even such, Reynolds always seems to be able to offer a stark reminder that he’s to be taken seriously whenever he touches the ball. While Igwebuike and Jefferson have shined in spots, Reynolds is setting himself up for a potential role moving forward given how solid he has looked running the ball.
Aggressive running such as this will only help Reynolds’ case for the future and make him impossible to ignore. It seems the Lions have a player to be taken seriously in Reynolds moving forward.
Reynolds’ Stats and Highlights
When Reynolds entered the mix in Detroit, he came to the Lions short on NFL experience but long on intrigue given his work in college and what he did in a short time in the NFL. He came into the league as an undrafted free agent of the Washington Football Team in 2019, then signing with the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020.
Here’s some highlights from when he played at small-school Kutztown College:
This swap may subtract from the defense but add a bit to the offense, being Reynolds was solid in college, ending up as Kutztown’s third all-time leading rusher with 2,650 yards on the ground. He was also second in school history with 5,277 all-purpose yards to his credit.
So far, while Reynolds hasn’t made a huge statistical impact in the NFL, he’s done enough to potentially earn his spot in the future.