Getty D'Andre Swift looks on sitting on the bench against Cincinnati in Week 6.
D’Andre Swift might be able to trend as a future star for the Detroit Lions in 2022, and if that ends up being the case, he will have proved several doubters wrong along the way.
Swift has his fans around the league to be sure, but interestingly enough, he might have a few dissenters as well. Ahead of the coming season, most expect Swift to turn things around and have a big year. Not everyone is sure he should be expected to do so, though.
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On Twitter, the Pro Football Network took a look at revealing their top 32 running backs for 2022. Swift came off the board right away in the 32 spot as the site revealed, which wasn’t great analysis for everyone.
At #32, Detroit #Lions RB @DAndreSwift
D’Andre Swift has shown the ability to be a threat on the ground and through the air.
As one commenter said, it’s probably time for the site to start over with a new list, given they believe that Swift should be rated much higher.
Bradly Stalder’s tweet shows Swift some major respect. As he explains, the list isn’t off to a good start if they rated the running back 32nd in the league at his position on the field.
Another tweet proclaimed that Swift should be in the top 15 based on his talent alone for this coming season.
Many were stunned that Swift was shoved so low to the bottom, while players deemed as undeserving ranked ahead of him on the list.
Finally, the list was proclaimed as “clickbait” given what Swift has done early in his career without the benefit of complete health.
Add it up and it’s clear that both Lions fans and others are salty at the Swift hate. Pro Football Network’s list of top running backs is not being well-received on Twitter, and this apparent snub of Swift looks like it’s a major reason why.
NFLPA Projects Swift for Stardom
It’s clear this opinion isn’t shared by a lot of folks. Ahead of the 2022 season, the league put out their watch list for young rising stars and a pair of Lions were included in Aidan Hutchinson and D’Andre Swift. Hutchinson placed fourth amongst rookies, while Swift was seventh amongst veteran players.
The NFLPA Rising Stars list, according to the site, “identifies top Rookies and Veterans poised to have breakout seasons, gain fan support and ultimately rank among the top-sellers of all officially licensed player merchandise.”
Swift was seen as a top 10 player this season with regards to merchandise and branding, which means that several in league circles believe he is poised to have a great year and is not likely to trend as one of the worst runners the NFL has to offer for the new season.
This could serve as some additional proof that those in league circles don’t expect bad things out of Swift.
Why Swift Deserves to Get Rated Higher
While it’s easy to understand the trepidation that some have placing Swift high on lists of top runners, there is no reason for him to be rated this low. At this point of his career, Swift’s problems are more with regards to his health rather than anything else. This offseason, Swift has bulked up trying to solve that, and looks like a good bet to have a more durable, better season as a result.
Swift will also benefit from a Lions offense which could be expected to continue to pound the rock this year with him as the feature piece. In addition to running the ball, Swift can catch as well, which sets him up to impact the whole game as a potentially elite dual-threat player.
Add it up and it sure seems as if Swift is being underrated by PFN. Fans wasted no time telling them about it and holding them accountable for their apparent misstep, though.