The Detroit Lions need a new Knuckles to Jahmyr Gibbs' Sonic after trading David Montgomery to the Houston Texans. Enter Arkansas' Mike Washington Jr., who turned in one of the greatest NFL Scouting Combine performances by a running back of all time.
Washington did things at the "ultimate four-day job interview" in Indianapolis that people of his size shouldn't be able to do. Listed at 6-foot-1, 223 pounds, he ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash while posting a 39-inch vertical and 10-foot, eight-inch broad jump. Those numbers unofficially give him a 10.0 Relative Athletic Score (RAS), which ranks first out of 2115 backs from 1987 to 2026.
Perhaps no prospect boosted their stock more dramatically in Indy than Washington. He's quickly rising up this year's draft board, both in real-life and dynasty fantasy football, and Detroit's a prime landing spot to maximize his value.
Lions fans and dynasty fantasy football managers are hoping Detroit drafts Arkansas RB Mike Washington Jr.
Montgomery's departure leaves behind roughly 200 annual touches. Combine that with new Lions offensive coordinator Drew Petzing's arrival, Detroit's typically-elite offensive line and Washington's profile, and fantasy managers have plenty to like.
An explosive athlete with the power, contact balance and three-down upside to boot, Washington and Detroit are a match made in heaven. He has the physical tools and talent to be a difference-maker at the next level. And suddenly, the Lions have the motivation to look powerfully into adding him with Montgomery out of the picture.
The Arizona Cardinals utilized a man/gap rushing scheme at one of the highest clips under Petzing. In fact, they led the league in man/gap concept attempt rate in each of the past two campaigns and finished seventh in 2023. There's an extensive track record here that suggests Washington's skill set aligns with what Detroit wants to do.
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As a fifth-year senior at Arkansas, Washington was tied for 31st in the nation in designed gap rushes (90). He was tied for 12th in 15-plus yard gains on set run plays and 14th in breakaway yards (515), so they deployed him well. The production is even more impressive considering his near 50-50 workload split with Razorbacks dual-threat quarterback Taylen Green.
While Gibbs is among the premier pass-catchers out of the backfield in the league, we shouldn't overlook Washington's receiving chops, especially in play point-per-reception (PPR) formats. The latter was tied for 41st among all tailbacks in the country in yards after the catch (243) on 28 grabs. So, if the former were to ever miss time, the Lions would have a potential workhorse backup ready to step in.
Note: Metrics above courtesy of Fantasy Points' data suite and Pro Football Focus' premium stats. Subscription required for both.