Lions News: Does Detroit have the best running back room in the NFL?

Despite data from the last decade, the Detroit Lions bucked several trends this past offseason by investing in the running back position.

First, they signed veteran running back David Montgomery to a three-year, $18 million contract. Montgomery is a powerful, shifty runner who can shrug off tackles and make defenders miss in space.

Then, with their first pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, they selected running back Jahmyr Gibbs from the University of Alabama. Analysts everywhere gasped, but with their new back duo and vaunted offensive line, it became clear how the Lions wanted to operate on offense.

The result? A ground game that must be planned for every week and is capable of gashing defenses in multiple ways. With almost everything intact between now and 2024, it makes sense why Pro Football Focus ranks the Lions’ running game in its top five.

The production that Gibbs and Montgomery have put together in 2023 will be hard to top, but with the way they and the rest of the organization seem to be shaping up, it’s certainly on the table.

And now let’s move on to the rest of today’s notes:

• Happy birthday to legendary Lions fullback Cory Schlesinger.