The Detroit Lions need Jacob Saylors to be more than just a good underdog story this season.
With the news that running back Isiah Pacheco will go on injured reserve to begin the season and miss at least the first four games, Saylors is in line for a bigger role with the team.
Detroit did not use a “designated to return” slot on Pacheco. There’s reportedly no timetable for his return, and general manager Brad Holmes said it’s “the hope” that the veteran returns this season.
All of a sudden, Saylors has gone from the roster bubble to the team’s presumptive No. 2 running back. He certainly made a strong case this preseason.
Saylors' preseason has to be more than a blip to begin Lions season
Saylors’ 227 scrimmage yards led the NFL during the three-game preseason, and he was second in the league in rushing yards with 187. He capped off the exhibitions with 100 rushing yards on 17 carries against the Indianapolis Colts.
He was running hard all preseason. Saylors showcased solid vision, receiving skills and patience.
"He's made plays out of the backfield.," Lions backup quarterback Josh Dobbs said. "He runs hard, he made plays. He's hard to tackle. He's very fast, so I'm excited to see how we use him this year."
Head coach Dan Campbell said the team is “comfortable” entering the season with Saylors as the team’s No. 2 running back.
“I just like the thought of having a guy in our system, think that’s important,” he said. “Knows our terminology, knows our guys, knows the protections. Just kind of knows it all, man. Understands our quarterback and how he thinks. I just think that’s important.”
The Lions’ lead back is, of course, superstar Jahmyr Gibbs. If Saylors takes the No. 2 spot, this isn’t gonna be “Sonic and Knuckles” part two or anything like that. Gibbs will dominate the snaps at running back, and probably would have anyway even with a healthy Pacheco.
But Saylors looks more than capable of handling those 4-5 touches per game when Gibbs comes out, as well as holding up in pass protection.
The pride of East Tennessee State, Saylors is one of four Buccaneers currently in the NFL, and the only one to spend his entire college career there.
Saylors was undrafted in 2023. He spent time in camp and practice squads with the Cincinnati Bengals, Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants and Cleveland Browns for two years. Saylors also had two separate stints with the St. Louis Battlehawks of the UFL, and led that league in rushing yards in 2024.
The Lions picked him up in late July 2025. He didn’t make the initial roster but was promoted days before Week 1 kicked off. In his first year as a Lion, Saylors received limited action, carrying the ball just twice for 11 yards.
He was used much more as a special teamer. Saylors played 281 snaps on those units, and returned 33 kickoffs for 897 yards with a long of 39.
He recorded eight tackles on special teams in 2025. A continued role there, along with No. 2 running back duties, could quietly make him one of the bigger “glue guys” on this team.
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Saylors is embracing that opportunity to make an impact in the game’s third phase this year.
“Last year I was playing more so not to mess up, than to make plays [on special teams],” Saylors said. “I feel like this year, having a year of confidence under my belt in the scheme with [special teams coordinator Dave Fipp], some of the other guys… My biggest goal is to make plays for this team.”
The other two backs competing with Saylors to be the top reserve are 2024 fourth-rounder Sione Vaki and another Tennessee native in 2024 UDFA Jabari Small.
Vaki’s career has been largely beset by injuries and he’s still new to the running back position after primarily being a safety in college. Small hasn’t appeared in an NFL game yet, and might be a roster placeholder for Detroit to make another move.
Vaki would be the upside play, but he doesn’t have the experience at the position to be trusted with the protections and limited rushing work Saylors does. The Lions are more likely to steadily bring him along as the season progresses, health permitting.
That means, in the meantime, Saylors could be the second running back Detroit trots out there. He’s got a great opportunity to prove he belongs in this league and become a contributor on what could be one of the NFL’s top offenses.
It's what you hope for when you sign that first UDFA deal.
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