What roles will each of the Detroit Lions rookies fill on offense in this season?
D’Andre Swift
5-9, 215 pound running back out of Georgia, drafted in the second round (35th overall)
Best Case for 2020: Swift supplants Kerryon Johnson as the number one back and becomes the Lions’ first 1,000 yard rusher since Reggie Bush in 2013. Reaching the thousand yard mark would make him the first Lions rookie to do so since Kevin Jones in 2004.
Most Likely Role: He plays a complementary role to Kerryon at the beginning, acquiring enough reps in both rushing and passing situations to see what he really has. I can envision a Jahvid Best type of rookie season from Swift–1,000+ yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns, split pretty evenly between runs and catches.
Jonah Jackson
6-4, 310 pound guard from Ohio State, drafted in the third round (75th overall)
Best Case for 2020: Guard spots seem up for grabs heading in into camp, so taking one of those and serving as a valuable starter on the line all the way through would be a great return on investment for Jackson. Think Larry Warford, who was a day one starter and very solid as a rookie in 2013, also as a third round pick.
Most Likely Role: Jackson and fellow rookie Logan Stenberg will compete with vets Joe Dahl and Kenny Wiggins for the two starting guard spots. Among those four, it’s not hard to predict Jackson coming away from camp with one of those.