Gibbs is the pace now
We know what Gibbs is capable of. We’ve watched him share carries with David Montgomery for years, putting up top-five receiving numbers among running backs even in a split backfield. Now he gets the whole damn thing to himself.
That means first and second down. That means territory that used to belong to Montgomery. Gibbs is no longer the change-of-pace back.
He is the pace.
You’re going to see him handle a ton of carries and a ton of targets in the passing game. He has a real shot to lead the league in rushing yards. Not bad for a kid who had to wait his turn.
Will he hit 2,000 yards rushing? Probably not. But 1,500 to 1,600 rushing yards is absolutely in play. Factor in receiving numbers and something in the range of 1,800 to 1,900 total yards from scrimmage is very much on the table.
That’s a bell cow. That’s a workload you build an offense around. Let’s see if he can handle it.
Pacheco fills the gap Detroit has needed
The most underrated thing about Pacheco that nobody is talking enough about is his pass blocking.
He is very good at picking up the blitz. He brings that extra layer of protection the Lions have lacked. As much as Montgomery was fun and as much as everyone loves Gibbs, both of them struggled in that area.
Pacheco’s role figures to center on third downs and passing situations where Detroit needs an extra blocker. Short yardage work. Red zone carries. Lower the shoulder, get through the line, pound the rock.
You probably will not see him much in the pass game the way Gibbs will dominate targets, but that is fine. The Lions are going to love utilizing him in those dirty-work spots.
Sione Vaki has something to prove
Lions fans are frustrated with Vaki. Detroit traded up for him in the fourth round, and there were hopes he could eventually become the Montgomery replacement.
Those hopes could still be there. But 2026 is going to be incredibly important.
The thing is that Vaki has dealt with some injuries, and that has really hamstrung his development and pushed his timeline back. I see people compare him to Giovanni Manu, and I think that is a poor comparison. Vaki is maybe one of the best special teams players in the league, or at least has a chance to be. Go back and watch the film. Very often, the guy making the tackle on coverage units is Vaki.
But here’s the reality: stay healthy during training camp, make some moves in the preseason, and earn the RB3 spot. Pacheco is only here on a one-year deal. If Vaki can impress, maybe he’s the RB2 in 2027.
But if the Lions’ intentions are to never elevate him above RB3, maybe it’s time to consider moving him back to safety. Even if it’s a bit late in his career to make that switch.
Jacob Saylors is the sleeper to watch
Saylors impressed me last summer.
He came out of the UFL as an all-league running back and nobody expected him to make the roster. Right away, he showed the Lions a reason to carry four running backs into 2025, and he started getting reps as the return man on top of that. He never broke one for a touchdown, but he did just fine in that role.
Here’s the thing: I don’t think it’s crazy at all to believe Saylors could beat out Vaki for the RB3 spot. He absolutely has a shot, and he might be somebody to keep an eye on this summer.
The rest of the room
Jabari Small is a camp body, practice squad at the most. He had a decent summer last year, and the Lions are giving him another chance.
Then there’s Kye Robichaux, who suffered a season-ending injury and reverted back to the Lions. Instead of cutting him outright, Detroit is giving him another shot, but we didn’t get to see much from him before the injury.
He’s the mystery component of this whole thing.
The top of this running back room is set. Gibbs is the guy. Pacheco is the complement. The bottom is anyone’s guess.
Let’s see how it shakes out when the pads come on.
Do you think Vaki finally puts it together or is Saylors about to steal his spot? Drop your take below.
