Despite the data from the last decade or so, the Detroit Lions bucked several trends last offseason by investing in the running back position.
First, they signed veteran running back David Montgomery to a three-year, $18M deal. Montgomery is a powerfully-built, shifty runner who is capable of shrugging off arm-tackles and making defenders miss in space.
Then, with their first pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, they selected running back Jahmyr Gibbs out of the University of Alabama. Analysts everywhere collectively gasped, but with their new duo of backs along with their vaunted offensive line—it became clear how the Lions wanted to operate on offense.
The result? A ground game that has to be game planned for every week, and one that is capable of gashing defenses in a myriad of ways. With mostly everything intact heading into 2024, it makes sense as to why Pro Football Focus has the Lions’ running game ranked inside their top-five.
The production Gibbs and Montgomery amassed in 2023 will be tough to top, but with the way they and the rest of the organization seem to be trending, it is certainly on the table.
And now, onto the rest of today’s notes:
