Non-rookie NFL players ready to break out in 2021: Offense edition

Running back – D’Andre Swift

Since just listing the first players selected at their position and explaining why they should break out this year would be too basic, you won’t find any other player on this list that was a top-ranked prospect at his position.

However, there is a conversation to be had about the projected RB1 in last year’s draft, because unlike a bunch of other guys from that draft, he’s not receiving any love. And I get it – it’s the Lions. But this kid special.

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LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire was the only back drafted ahead of Swift, with that final selection of the first round by the Chiefs before this former Georgia standout. heard his name called three picks later

Swift certainly started his career off on the right foot, even though he did score a touchdown on one of his six touches in the season - he didn’t open against the Bears, as he dropped what should have been a game-winning touchdown at the very end on a corner route. And just like we saw with Kerryon Johnson as a rookie, who has unfortunately looked much less dynamic with all the injuries he has suffered, Matt Patricia’s coaching staff didn’t give the right guy the amount of touches he deserved, simply because he was in year one.

Adrian Peterson led Detroit in carries in six of their first seven games, and when Swift finally broke through – ready to be featured – he suffered a concussion and the consequences took him out of game action for three straight weeks. He still showed flashes when he came back, but being involved in some high-scoring affairs and an absolute annihilation by the eventual Super Bowl champion Bucs didn’t allow Swift to really get the chances he should have garnered.

However, despite limited opportunities and being part of a team that won just five games, Swift found ways to be productive whenever he got the chance. He averaged 4.57 yards per rush and caught 46 of 57 targets, combining for ten touchdowns on 160 touches.

Adrian Peterson is still a free agent – who I don’t expect to be brought back – and Kerryon Johnson was waived earlier this offseason. The Lions did bring in former Packer Jamaal Williams, who should give them some lightning and thunder feel as a bigger body and offers them an elite pass-protector at the position, to go with bringing in seventh round rookie Jermar Jefferson (Oregon State) and UDFA Rakeem Boyd (Arkansas).

Still, this is Swift’s show and while not having Matt Stafford at quarterback anymore will make the offense less capable overall, I see a couple of reasons to get excited about the second-year back, outside of his obvious individual talents.

As a runner, Swift offers the versatility to execute basically any scheme with the ability to quickly process information as he approaches the line of scrimmage, paired with the footwork to just fluidly incorporate it into his footwork.

Swift has the burst to get to the edges of the defense, but he is also tremendous at hesitating behind blockers and letting them get into position, while having that slipperiness to squeeze through some tight creases. He also has outstanding hip mobility to move one way and point the toe away from it for dramatic cuts, often times punishing poor backside contain. That and his body language allow him to dip one way and then get underneath a block, like getting defensive ends to commit to the outside to widen the B-gap.

Swift is extremely elusive in the open field with dead-legs and spin moves to go with a crowd-stunning hurdle maneuver every once in a while if a safety tries to dive at his legs. Plus, while he may not be a bruiser, he has pretty good contact balance and continues to drive his legs through tackling attempts.

What I loved so much about Swift at Georgia was how natural a receiver he was, whether it was making those subtle adjustments on underneath passes or tracking the ball down the field. He has an outstanding ability to sink his hips as a route-runner on angles and pivots, while feeling comfortable about extending for the ball at the end of his reach.

During his rookie season, we saw him run a bunch of hook routes over the middle, which he can be dangerous on as well, if there’s space, but I’d like to see him catch the ball more in stride and get involved on a deeper level.

He’s very elusive releasing for screen passes and becomes a problem to get your hands on with all that green grass in front of him. He did drop five passes in year one, but I’m not worried about his hands at all. As far as pass-protection goes, Swift is good at sliding in front of blitzers, but we did see him struggle to really slow down guys who had a runway and were trying to run through his face, like Devin White did a couple of times in the Week 16 Tampa Bay game.

Having Jamaal Williams there to take some of that punishment and keep him fresh should only be a plus.

My concerns for Swift in year two are based on this team likely playing from behind in the majority of games and the personnel they have lost this offseason in terms of the pass game, as Stafford to Jared Goff presents a significant downgrade under center and without their two starting outside receivers from a year ago, defensive coordinators will feel comfortable leaving their corners in man-coverage against those Lions receivers, allowing them to bring that extra safety down on many occasions.

However, they did select Oregon’s Penei Sewell at right tackle and they’ll start either Logan Stenberg or Halapoulivaati Vaitai, both known for their power in the run game.

With Anthony Lynn taking over offensive coordinator duties after he already called the shots for the number one rushing attack in Buffalo back in 2016, and their chance at being competitive relying on that O-line and the run game, Swift should get heavily featured.

He doesn’t have elite speed or power, but he’s as complete a back as we have seen enter the league since Saquon Barkley. The two things he has to work on this season is running with some more variation in pace and not letting his elbow get too far away from his body, which led to fumbles in two of the last three games of the season.