One of the ramifications of the incoming draft class is that the new guys displace some of the players already on the roster. That’s certainly true for the Detroit Lions selecting Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.
Gibbs is an outside-the-tackles playmaker, an exceptional receiving weapon and a guy with big-play potential every time he touches the ball. Or, in Lions terms, what veteran RB D’Andre Swift is supposed to be for the Detroit offense.
With David Montgomery signed to a 3-year deal as a free agent less than two months ago, drafting Gibbs in the first round is a clear sign that Swift isn’t in the long-term plans for the Lions. The oft-injured, occasionally awesome Swift is entering the final year of his rookie contract.
Lions GM Brad Holmes didn’t exactly give Swift a vote of confidence to remain in Detroit in his press conference after selecting Gibbs.
“Yeah, I mean, D’Andre, he’s still on our roster,” Holmes told the media after Thursday’s session. “He’s still part of our team. He’s still under contract with us. He’s a dynamic football player. So, (taking Gibbs) hasn’t really changed the math there, yet. But, you know, it is early.”
The flat tone in which he stated “yet” is easily interpreted as a very bad sign for Swift’s fate with the team. Enough that it wouldn’t be surprising if Swift isn’t on the team by the end of draft weekend. If Holmes can extract any trade return for Swift, who had more than 10 carries just three times in the last 25 games (he missed seven of those with various injuries), it’s hard to see him not making the move.
