The Detroit Lions have one of the league’s best running back duos in David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, but the team also has talent down to the bottom of the depth chart.
That could create a challenge in the backfield this season, with the team’s No. 5 running back turning in some strong performances while likely falling just below the cut line. Jabari Small, a former undrafted free agent who joined the team in June, could end up finding a new NFL home as the Lions won’t have room to keep him.
Lions Facing Roster Crunch in the Backfield
The Lions are expected to keep four running backs this season, with Craig Reynolds and Sione Vaki providing depth and versatility behind Montgomery and Gibbs. Jeff Risdon of USA Today’s Lions Wire noted that the roster crunch could lead to the Lions losing Small entirely as he may not make it through to the practice squad.
“RB Jabari Small continues to show a nice combination of quick feet and hard-charging, downhill running,” Risdon wrote. “He’s clearly RB5 behind Vaki, but Small sure looks like he can help someone in the regular season if he doesn’t hit the Lions practice squad.”
Small spent the 2024 season on the practice squad of the Tennessee Titans before waiving him in May. He signed with the Lions on July 18, earning some good reviews for his work in practice.
He had a limited impact in the team’s 34-7 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in the preseason opener, rushing 11 times for 35 yards and taking one catch for six yards. Small also fumbled, though it was recovered by the Lions.
Jabari Small Earned Praise After College
Small was teammates with Lions backup quarterback Hendon Hooker at Tennessee, where he rushed for 2,122 yards and 24 touchdowns in four collegiate seasons. He earned some buzz coming out of college, though ultimately went undrafted before signing with the Titans as an undrafted free agent.
NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein noted in his pre-draft analysis that Small showed some promise at Tennessee, though struggled at times.
“A frisky runner with a compact frame, Small can run with good burst and efficiency of movement when he’s locked in. Unfortunately, many of his carries in 2023 featured few clear points of entry, which caused him to run with less decisiveness,” Zierlein wrote. “A lack of patience and tempo limits his opportunity to read the front and find developing run lanes instead of crashing forward into the abyss. Small can find his own yardage on bounce-outs and with improvisational path changes, but that might not be sustainable as a pro.”
Zierlein concluded that Small’s limited impact in the passing game and lack of special teams experience could hurt in the NFL, which could also become the case with the Lions this summer. The team will be looking for some special teams contributions from the bottom of the depth chart, which helped Vaki earn a role on the team last season. If Small has a chance to make the final roster, special teams could become a deciding factor.
