On the roster: Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Craig Reynolds, Sione Vaki, Kye Robichaux, Anthony Tyus III
Key losses: None
| Name | Games | Rush yards | Avg | Rec. | Rec. yards | Total TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jahmyr Gibbs | 17 | 1,412 | 5.6 | 52 | 517 | 20 |
| David Montgomery | 14 | 775 | 4.2 | 36 | 341 | 12 |
| Craig Reynolds | 17 | 139 | 4.5 | 3 | 40 | 0 |
| Sione Vaki | 16 | 14 | 2.3 | 3 | 37 | 0 |
| Kye Robichaux* | 13 | 744 | 4.3 | 9 | 44 | 11 |
| Anthony Tyus III* | 13 | 1,215 | 5.1 | 16 | 137 | 11 |
Best competition: No. 3 running back spot
Gibbs and Montgomery are arguably the best running back duo in the NFL, and both are back in 2025. Gibbs has emerged as a top five running back after rushing for over 1,400 yards and totaling 20 touchdowns last season.
Reynolds has served as Detroit's No. 3 running back for the last few years and has been extremely reliable in that role. He's got a career 4.3 yard per carry average, is an underrated receiver out of the backfield, and is very good in the protection aspect of the game.
Detroit drafted Vaki, the safety turned running back, in the fourth round in last year's NFL Draft knowing he was a developmental player having so few carries (42) in college. He was an immediate impact player on special teams and with a year in the running back room under his belt he might be in a better position to give Reynolds a run for the No. 3 role in his second season.
Robichaux and Tyus are undrafted rookies who will look to throw their hat in the ring too.
Twentyman's take: What a luxury for new offensive coordinator John Morton to step into a situation where he's got two experienced and dynamic running backs like Gibbs and Montgomery.
Gibbs showed at the end of last season when Montgomery missed games due to a knee injury that he can carry the load if needed. That's not how head coach Dan Campbell likes to run his backfield rotation. He favors the one-two punch approach, but don't be surprised if Gibbs moves into the 1A role in the backfield given how dynamic he is with the football in his hands and how much of a threat he is to score every time he touches the ball. Look for Gibbs to be a big part of the passing game too, coming off back-to-back 50-plus catch seasons.
We'll see how much losing All-Pro center Frank Ragnow affects the run game. Can Detroit find a suitable replacement to keep that line a strength of this football team?
Detroit ranked sixth in rushing yards (2,488), second in rushing touchdowns (29) and fifth in rushing average (4.9) last season. They've been one of the more balanced offenses in the NFL the last couple seasons and will look to continue that trend under Morton in 2025.
View photos of the Detroit Lions running backs heading into training camp.
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 4, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 5, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Josh Mandujano/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) and Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 4, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 3, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 4, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 29, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 19, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0) and Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 13, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 28, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 7, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 21, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 21, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) and Detroit Lions quarterback Kyle Allen (8) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 28, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 20, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Craig Reynolds (13) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 3, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Craig Reynolds (13) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 21, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Craig Reynolds (13) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 29, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Craig Reynolds (13) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 6, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Craig Reynolds (13) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 28, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Sione Vaki (33) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 19, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Sione Vaki (33) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on April 30, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Sione Vaki (33) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on April 30, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Sione Vaki (33) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 6, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Kye Robichaux (25) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 20, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Kye Robichaux (25) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on May 28, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Kye Robichaux (25) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 21, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions cornerback Morice Norris (26), Detroit Lions linebacker Ezekiel Turner (47), Detroit Lions running back Anthony Tyus III (42) and Detroit Lions edge rusher Nate Lynn (57) during OTAs at the Meijer Performance Center on June 3, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Anthony Tyus III (42) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 21, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Anthony Tyus III (42) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 19, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
By the numbers:
5.65: Average yards per carry for Gibbs last season. Only Derrick Henry (5.91) and Saquon Barkley (5.81) had a higher average.
6-0: Detroit's record last season when a running back totaled 100-plus yards rushing in a game.
14: Games last season where Detroit had at least one passing and one rushing touchdown in the same game, which tied Buffalo for the NFL lead.
46: Non-kneeldown rushes for negative yards by Detroit last season, which were the fifth most in the league.
107: The number of missed tackles forced by Lions running backs in 2024. That was second in the NFL behind only Atlanta (110).
3,307: Total number of scrimmage yards racked up by Detroit running backs last year (2,363 rushing & 945 receiving). That was the most in the NFL by nearly 400 yards. The NFL's last RB unit to combine for at least 3,000 scrimmage yards and 30 scrimmage touchdowns were the 2006 Chargers.
Quotable: "When you inherit a room that Scottie Montgomery has put together as far as the level of consistency, the guys in the room have the standard and the expectation to do well, so it's easy," new running backs coach Tashard Choice said this offseason.
"It's just a point where the group is so solid and every little detail, every little knickknack, I'm picking at it. For them to hear it and not get mad, or hear it and not want to listen, but hear and to be coachable to try to do and perform on the football field has been tremendous."
