You see it, we see it. So does D'Andre Swift. The Lions are building a potentially dominant offensive line.
It's big and bad, mighty and mean. And from left to right, it's anchored in place for at least the next three seasons. Swift likes the view from the backfield. He knows what it means for his game, and perhaps his career.
"It could definitely take it to the next level," Swift said Thursday after Detroit's third practice of OTA's.
Judging by early snapshots in camp, the Lions are going with a left to right formation of Taylor Decker, Jonah Jackson, Frank Ragnow, Halapoulivaati Vaitai and Penei Sewell. Ragnow is the smallest among them at 310 lbs. That should yield some big holes for Swift and the rest of Detroit's running backs.
"Real big up front, nice size. Great leaders with Frank, Decker, Big V, I think they’re going to bring Sewell along. Going to be real good up front," said Swift. "Real excited to run behind them."
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Swift showed what he could with a little room as a rookie. He ranked among the top 20 running backs in the NFL with 4.6 yards per carry. And he was one of only three among them who also caught at least 40 passes. The others: Alvin Kamara and Dalvin Cook.
Swift's 46 receptions ranked 12th in the NFL out of the backfield. Lions new running backs coach Duce Staley wants to significantly increase his workload in 2021, both on the ground and in the air. Can Swift be one of those backs who catches up to 75 passes in a season? Last year, Kamara was the only one.
"Most definitely," Swift said. "Whatever they ask me to do I’ll do to the best of my abilities, but definitely I can see myself being one of those type of players."
That's the effect of a strong offensive line. It imbues the players behind it with confidence, not that confidence was ever an issue for Swift. He sees himself capable of anything, and now he seems capable of more. The presence of Staley, the running back he grew up watching in Philadelphia, pushes Swift's bar even higher.
"He played in the league for a long time. He knows what it takes. So I definitely think he’s going to take it to the level I'm trying to get to," Swift said. "The energy he brings every day, he’s the type of coach you want to play for."
The Lions will be running the ball this season, and Swift will be leading the way. He spent the offseason in Florida getting faster and stronger. He's got the right coach, the right O-line and what feels like the right opportunity. There's work to be done, but a breakout year is easy to see.