Like the rest of us watching the draft, Bob Quinn and the Lions didn't expect D'Andre Swift to fall out of the first round. He was widely considered the top running back on the board, maybe one of the top 15 players overall. He's "going to be a steal," said Packers safety Adrian Amos as Thursday night bled into Friday morning.
At home in his office, Lions GM Bob Quinn was having similar thoughts. Detroit was in the market for a running back, and here was a potential star sliding closer and closer to the team's second pick. As he and his staff assessed the board at the end of Round 1, Quinn was hoping for a little good fortune at the start of Round 2.
"A little bit surprised when we went back and said, 'Alright, well Swift is still up there.' Kind of crossed our fingers for a couple picks. Going to bed (Thursday) night, he was the guy that was on my mind the most," Quinn said at the end of Day 2 of the Draft. "I was hoping we could get him, and we stood pat there. You never know, the draft is hard to predict.
"But I felt very fortunate that he was there."
There were other enticing players at No. 35, many of whom had been linked to the Lions. Defensive tackle Ross Blacklock. Defensive ends A.J. Epenesa. Even fellow running backs Jonathan Taylor and J.K. Dobbins. "A lot of guys we liked in that cluster," Quinn would acknowledge. But the best value was Swift, at a position of need for Detroit.
So Quinn pulled the trigger on maybe his flashiest pick as Lions GM.
This wasn't a buiding block for the O-line, like Frank Ragnow or Taylor Decker. It wasn't a bruising body for the defense, like Jarrad Davis or Jahlani Tavai. This was a Ferrari for the offense, fueled up and ready to fly.
"Felt really good about that pick," said Quinn. "Playmaker, explosive, three-down value. Really, really good football player."
Swift is a football player in the way that he runs the ball. He's also a football player in the way that he blocks, and in the way that he moves as a receiver. With due respect to Kerryon Johnson, Swift is now the most complete running back on Detroit's roster. Not that Johnson will be forgotten. He and Swift could form the 1-2 punch Quinn's been searching for since he arrived.
"We always want a stable of backs. I've said that for a long time," said Quinn. "You can count on one hand how many backs carry the load. There's not a lot of those guys walking around. It's a position where guys get hit, they take a pounding. So we've got to make sure we have good depth and guys that can go out there and make plays for us."
Swift 'Tried To Emulate' Barry Sanders On Way To NFL
The difference between Johnson and Swift is evident to the eye. The former is two inches taller and a few pounds lighter. Johnson runs with wiggle, a player faster than he appears. Swift moves quickly and suddenly, plowing with every step. Frank Gore is a common comparison.
"A little bit shorter, a little bit thicker. Runs lower to the ground. This guy is really good in the open field. Makes guys miss in space, big-play ability, takes the ball well out of the backfield, good route runner. Different," said Quinn. "I think they complement each other very well."
It's not often we get to be excited about Detroit's backfield. The Lions haven't finished in the top half of the NFL in rushing since the days of Barry Sanders. The last time they invested a top-40 pick in a running back, Jahvid Best was crippled by concussions. The last time they had an 1,000-yard rusher, Reggie Bush was gone without an encore. Swift is the next burst of hope.
If Quinn and Matt Patricia are here at this time next year, this is how they'll make it. They're committed to building to a ground game. They've got a willing offensive coordinator in Darrell Bevell, and they've got an explosive duo in Swift and Johnson. If the offensive line does its part, it just might work. It could just as soon fail. It's different and it's risky.
But right now, entering Year 3 of this sputtering regime, at least it might be something new.
