The second RB off the board in the 2020 NFL Draft was Georgia’s D’Andre Swift. Taken 35th overall to the Detroit Lions, Swift seemed to be a luxury pick for a team that already had a former second-round pick, Kerryon Johnson. The Swift-Lions marriage appeared to be a poor landing spot, but how did the season go?
2020 SEASON RECAP
Swift got off to a slow start in 2020, playing behind Adrian Peterson (which, in my opinion, is a reason why HC Matt Patricia got fired…). The Lions deployed a three-headed monster with Peterson leading the ground attack, Johnson handling the pass blocking, and Swift as the receiving back. Through the first four games of 2020, Swift achieved above a 40% snap share once, yet only had one game below double-digit PPR points.
After the Lions bye week, Swift started to see more of a workload, reaching a 73% snap share in week 10 (check out the YouTube link for the show Swift put on in week 10). Unfortunately, Swift dealt with either a concussion or migraines, was sidelined for the next three contests, and returned to score 15.0, 22.2, and 9.0 PPR points for the fantasy playoffs.
Overall, Swift proved to be an effective runner, highlighted by his 4.57 yards per carry and established himself near the Lions’ goal line. As a receiver, Swift was fourth on the team in targets.
Swift was healthy all season outside of the brain injury, which has yet to be definitively called a concussion or a migraine. Swift played on a limited snap count all year, so his health with a more immense workload is something to monitor.
| Attempts | Yards | Rush TDs | YPC | Targets | Rec | Yards | Rec TDs | PPR Total | RB Finish |
| 114 | 521 | 8 | 4.57 | 57 | 46 | 357 | 2 | 189.8 | RB18 |
THE WAY FORWARD
Swift was a lot of folks RB1 in the 2020 class, and the landing spot in Detroit led to him slipping in drafts. When you look back at how abysmal the Lions offense was in 2020, you can see the shining star Swift was and the trajectory he is on to becoming an elite back in fantasy football. The Lions utilized Swift at the goal line, as a receiver, and as a focal point in the offense. The sky is the limit for Swift in 2021, but keep an eye on who the Lions hire to run the show. Despite an abysmal coaching staff Swift finished as the RB18. If the Lions can figure out the right coach, Swift has legitimate top 10 potential.
