Getty Image / Mike Mulholland
There were plenty of surprises during last night’s 1st round of the NFL Draft.
The Houston Texans traded up to pick 3 to take Will Anderson after selecting CJ Stroud 2nd overall.
Anthony Richardson was selected 4th overall after Will Levis entered the draft as a sizable favorite to be picked there.
Levis didn’t even end up getting drafted in round 1.
4 consecutive wide receivers were drafted for the first time in the common draft era.
Still, there may not have been anything more shocking than the Detroit Lions drafting Jahmyr Gibbs 12th overall.
There were plenty of reasons the move came as a surprise. They had been expected to draft a cornerback before they traded the 6th pick and Christian Gonzalez dropped to them at 12. Gibbs wasn’t even a sure thing to be drafted in the 1st round, let alone the top 15. They already have David Montgomery and D’Andre Swift on their roster.
Now it seems that last part might not be entirely true for much longer.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Lions have been receiving calls about trading Swift since they drafted Gibbs.
Sources: The #Lions are receiving trade calls on running back D’Andre Swift, whose representatives have been in contact with the team about potentially moving to a new team. With Detroit drafting Jahmyr Gibbs, the talented Swift appears poised to leave Detroit. pic.twitter.com/Rkf16dylaL
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) April 28, 2023
The Detroit Lions drafted Swift in the 2nd round 3 seasons ago and there were big expectations for him after a successful career at Georgia. Unfortunately, the pick hasn’t worked out.
Swift has dealt with injuries throughout his NFL career and hasn’t turned into the star the Lions were hoping for. He peaked in 2021 with 617 rushing yards and 62 catches for 452 yards.
Unfortunately for Swift, Jamaal Williams took over as the clear preferred option in the backfield the following year.
Williams is gone now, but the Lions brought in Montgomery to take his place. Now Gibbs looks like he’ll be taking over their passing down work, living Swift without a role on the team.
Despite not turning into the player the Lions hoped he would, it’s not surprising there are teams interested in him.
He could still offer plenty of value to a new team catching passes out of the backfield and as a change of pace runner.
Some time before the start of the season, we should see D’Andre Swift in a new team’s uniform.