What You Need to Know:

• Last year, Swift missed time in training camp with a groin injury. The injury lingered into the season but didn’t cost him games.
• When #2 back Jamaal Williams missed Week 8-10, Swift tallied a whopping 56 opportunities (carries + targets). That was highlighted by a 33-carry, 6-target game at Pittsburgh.
• Swift left early in Week 12 with a shoulder sprain. He missed the next 4 games.
• The final 2 games saw him play a limited role (17 total touches), as he clearly wasn’t near 100%.
• Overall, Swift was busy pre-injury, playing 73% of the snaps until Week 12.
• In 8 healthy games together prior to the Week 12 injury, Swift narrowly out-carried Jamaal Williams 92-78.
• Swift struggled as a rusher, ranking last among 31 RBs with 150+ attempts in PFF rushing grade; 30th in yards after contact per attempt. He sat 26th in Elusive Rating.
• Swift did benefit from playing with conservative passer Jared Goff. Swift garnered 78 targets, a 13.8% share, despite missing 4 games. Only Amon-Ra St. Brown and T.J. Hockenson garnered more targets.
• Swift also feasted on big plays, posting TDs of 43, 57 and 63 yards.
• The ’22 Lions retained Jamaal Williams and added target competition in WRs D.J. Chark and rookie Jameson Williams.
• Both guys are downfield threats but come with question marks. Williams is iffy for Week 1 due to a December ACL tear. Chark missed most of last year with a broken ankle.
• Swift’s O-line, led by 2nd-year OT Penei Swell, profiles as an asset.
• Goff returns — perhaps for his final season as Detroit’s starter — to help lift up Swift's target floor. Only 3 RBs saw more targets than Swift in ’21.
• When this offense is healthy, though, it’s likely Swift’s target volume dips. The Lions moved on from OC Anthony Lynn (a long-time RB coach) and replaced him from within with former TE coach Ben Johnson. It’s not known if Johnson or HC Dan Campbell will call plays.
• Swift added muscle over the offseason, hoping to avoid some of the injuries that’ve dogged him so far.
• RB coach Duce Staley has challenged Swift to play through the pain more in ’22 and take another step forward as a pass-catcher, specifically pointing out his ability to diagnose coverages.

Draft Sharks Bottom Line:

Swift, only 23, should still be an ascending talent.

His 2021 season was plagued by a pair of injuries. And yet he still showed his pass-catching chops with 62 receptions. He’s now accrued 108 catches over the first 2 seasons, the 14th most among RBs since 2000.

The list of names ahead of Swift is largely impressive, as you'd expect:

Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, Reggie Bush, Saquon Barkley, LaDanian Tomlinson, Le’Veon Bell, Tarik Cohen, Matt Forte, LeSean McCoy, David Johnson, Domanick Williams, Duke Johnson and Ray Rice.

Now, his target upside is capped a bit by an upgraded supporting cast. And the return of Jamaal Williams will likely limit the ceiling on Swift’s rush volume.

Overall, though, an improved Lions squad should help make Swift a less volatile PPR RB1/2.