Talented young running back D’Andre Swift could be the odd man out with the Detroit Lions after they surprisingly selected Jahmyr Gibbs in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft Thursday night.
Detroit’s decision to go with Gibbs at No. 12 overall was a shock to most around the league. It also places Swift’s future with the Lions into question.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler is reporting ahead of Day 2 of the NFL Draft that the Lions are receiving calls from other teams about the possibility of trading for Swift.
An early second-round pick of the Lions back in 2020, Swift has shown a ton of promise when on the field. Unfortunately, Detroit views the former Georgia star as too much of an injury risk. He’s missed 10 games to injury over the past three seasons and hasn’t put up more than 151 rush attempts any of his first three campaigns with the Lions.
Detroit also added versatile running back David Montgomery from the division-rival Chicago Bears in free agency, creating somewhat of a logjam at this position after selecting Gibbs. Given Swift’s talent and age, there are going to be a ton of teams interested in him. Here, we look at four perfect trade scenarios.
Related: D’Andre Swift and others who could be traded during NFL Draft
Philadelphia Eagles continue to dominate NFL Draft
After losing Miles Sanders to the Carolina Panthers during free agency, Philadelphia was linked to stud Texas product Bijan Robinson during in the first round of the NFL Draft. Instead, the defending NFC champs got themselves two stud Georgia defenders.
While there is a good chance that the Eagles target a running back in Round 2, acquiring Swift for what would likely be pennies on the dollar also makes a ton of sense.
- D’Andre Swift stats (2020-22): 1,680 rushing yards, 156 receptions, 1,198 receiving yards, 2,878 total yards, 5.5 yards per touch, 25 TD
Acquiring a dual threat to go with Jalen Hurts in the backfield would be an absolute boon for the Eagles. The question here is whether another potential NFC contender wants to do the Eagles a favor. It might require a bit more for Philadelphia to pull off a trade for Swift.
Related: 2023 NFL mock draft, Day 2 edition
Los Angeles Chargers add D’Andre Swift to the mix
The Austin Ekeler situation is a major backdrop heading into Day 2 of the NFL Draft. He has requested a trade from the Chargers due to the running back believing that he’s underpaid in the grand scheme of things. Los Angeles has also given Ekeler permission to seek out potential trades.
Even if the Chargers were to retain Ekeler, adding another player like Swift to the backfield would make a ton of sense. After all, Los Angeles’ incumbent RB1 put up less than 40 rushing yards in more than half of his outings a season ago.
Buffalo Bills get Josh Allen more help
Much like Philadelphia, the Bills were linked to Bijan Robinson Thursday night. When the top running back in the class went to the Atlanta Falcons at eight, that pipe dream was over. What we do know is that the Bills need more help in the backfield to go with quarterback Josh Allen.
Buffalo lost Devin Singletary to the Houston Texans in free agency. The team ended up replacing him with Damien Harris, who is not a receiving threat in the passing game (40 catches in 38 career games). A total of 30% of Swift’s touches through three seasons have been receptions. He’s an absolutely perfect fit in Western New York.
Bryce Young lands another weapon in Carolina
Not only did the Carolina Panthers select former Alabama quarterback Bryce Young No. 1 overall, they exhausted a ton of draft capital to move up from the ninth selection for him. Carolina also gave up Pro Bowl receiver D.J. Moore to the Chicago Bears in said blockbuster trade.
Sure, the additions of veteran wide receivers Adam Thielen and DJ Chark will help Young thrive as a rookie. However, acquiring a dual threat out of the backfield would be an absolute boon for the young quarterback. Swift would also be a perfect fit in new head coach Frank Reich’s system after a similar running back in Jonathan Taylor excelled under him with the Indianapolis Colts.
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