I was surprised when the Lions didn’t draft a running back. They’ve averaged a league-low 85 rushing yards per game over the last three years, and Ameer Abdullah has been plagued by injuries and fumbles.
But they opted to stand pat, and they say they like the four backs they have. Abdullah will be their starter, and Theo Riddick is one of the busier third-down options in the league. Jim Caldwell says he also likes their third and fourth running backs, Zach Zenner and Dwayne Washington.
Zenner should have a decent role, including probably carrying in goal-line situations. He’s a lot bigger than Abdullah and Riddick, and he came on at the end of last year.
Says Caldwell in an article by Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press: “He can run the ball. He can pass protect. He can catch the ball out of the backfield if need be and I think just another year under his belt is going to be a great help. Zach is one of those guys that I think without question can be effective for us.”
Washington is probably their No. 4 back. He’s also a bigger runner, and if Zenner gets hurt, he’d probably move into that role.
"Nobody really knows how good he can be, but he has talent," Caldwell said. "He has ability. We like what we see in that particular area and he’s developing."
Given Abdullah’s size and injury problems, there’s a good chance Zenner or Washington will have to play a sizeable role at some point. And I don’t believe any of these backs will be heavily utilized.
The offensive line should be below average at least initially. Left tackle Taylor Decker could miss half the season, and they don’t have anyone of any ability to plug into that spot. They signed free agents T.J. Lang and Ricky Wagner, but they look pretty comparable to the starters they’re replacing (Larry Warford, Riley Reiff).
The Lions have also been pretty awful running the ball. Three years in a row they’ve averaged under 90 rushing yards per game. Only 10 other teams have averaged under 90 yards per game in a season during the last three years.
| TEAMS AVERAGING UNDER 90 RUSHING YARDS | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | Att | Yards | Avg | TD |
| 2016 | Minnesota Vikings | 380 | 1,205 | 3.2 | 9 |
| 2014 | Oakland Raiders | 337 | 1,240 | 3.7 | 4 |
| 2016 | Los Angeles Rams | 375 | 1,252 | 3.3 | 9 |
| 2014 | Arizona Cardinals | 397 | 1,308 | 3.3 | 6 |
| 2016 | Detroit Lions | 350 | 1,310 | 3.7 | 9 |
| 2015 | Detroit Lions | 354 | 1,335 | 3.8 | 7 |
| 2015 | San Diego Chargers | 393 | 1,358 | 3.5 | 4 |
| 2014 | San Diego Chargers | 398 | 1,367 | 3.4 | 6 |
| 2014 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 353 | 1,375 | 3.9 | 7 |
| 2015 | New England Patriots | 383 | 1,404 | 3.7 | 14 |
| 2016 | New York Giants | 398 | 1,412 | 3.5 | 6 |
| 2014 | Detroit Lions | 396 | 1,422 | 3.6 | 11 |
| 2015 | Indianapolis Colts | 396 | 1,438 | 3.6 | 6 |
For fantasy purposes, the best pick here is probably Theo Riddick (definitely in a PPR format). Riddick has averaged 5.1 catches and 41 receiving yards in his 26 games the last two years. In a standard format, then perhaps the choice should be Abdullah (who’s pictured), hoping he can blossom and stay healthy. If the Lions use Zenner in goal-line situations, he might score more touchdowns than either of those guys.
—Ian Allan