As trading running back David Montgomery became inevitable this offseason for the Detroit Lions, the conversation naturally moved toward who could be brought in to replace him alongside Jahmyr Gibbs. It wasn't going to be an easy task to replace Montgomery, but it had to be done when he was officially traded to the Houston Texans.
Free agent running back Isiah Pacheco stood out as a good fit for some obvious reasons, and he was indeed brought aboard on a one-year deal. While Gibbs is the professed "bell cow" by no less an authority than head coach Dan Campbell, Pacheco can absolutely be impactful in the role he'll fill.
Beyond that, Pacheco has a nice opportunity to resurrect his career filling the Montgomery role in the Lions' backfield.
New ranking says Lions filled David Montgomery void rather well
With the dust pretty much settled on the 2026 offseason, Moe Moton of Bleacher Report has ranked the top running back duos in the NFL. Of course Gibbs and Montgomery were at or neat the top of these kind of rankings in recent years, but Moton is pretty bullish on the Gibbs-Pacheco tandem, putting them at No. 5 on his list for 2026.
"The Lions traded Montgomery and signed Isiah Pacheco, who could fill the physical downhill void in the club's ground attack."Â
"However, offensive coordinator Drew Petzing may be wary of Pacheco's injury history. He's missed 17 games over the previous three seasons. Head coach Dan Campbell told reporters that Gibbs will be the bell-cow running back going forward."
"Gibbs and Pacheco won't share touches like the Sonic and Knuckles pairing with Montgomery, which is why the Lions fell from last year's No. 1 spot. Nonetheless, if Pacheco is more reliable in availability, this tandem can climb into the top three."
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Montgomery and his new backfield mate in Houston, Woody Marks, came in at No. 9 on Moton's list.
Pacheco's running style will always add an unavoidable layer of susceptibility to injuries. But all he needs to do is capably fill the role Montgomery had last season, as diminished as it was compared to his first two seasons in Detroit (182 touches) and everything will be fine. And if Gibbs were to miss time, Pacheco has shown all-around chops before (44 catches in 2023).
Gibbs' standing as one of the best running backs in the NFL will naturally elevate the Lions' backfield tandem in any ranking. But Pacheco is no slouch himself, and he might be a more purely fierce version of "Knuckles" than Montgomery was.
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