The Detroit Lions may have found a player who can do more than survive the cutdown grind.
Jacob Saylors entered the year as a long shot, but with Isiah Pacheco set to go on injured reserve and miss at least the first four games, he suddenly looks like Detroit’s likely No. 2 running back to open the season. The team did not use a “designated to return” slot on Pacheco, and while there’s no timetable for his return, general manager Brad Holmes said it’s “the hope” the veteran will be back this season.
That creates a real opening for Saylors, who forced the issue with a huge preseason. Over three exhibition games, he piled up 227 scrimmage yards, the most in the NFL, and finished second in rushing with 187. He closed things out with 100 rushing yards on 17 carries against the Indianapolis Colts.
The tape backed up the numbers. Saylors ran with force, showed patience, and made himself useful as a receiver. Lions backup quarterback Josh Dobbs liked what he saw.
"He's made plays out of the backfield.," Lions backup quarterback Josh Dobbs said. "He runs hard, he made plays.
He's hard to tackle. He's very fast, so I'm excited to see how we use him this year."
Dan Campbell sounds ready to lean on him, too. The head coach said the Lions are “comfortable” with Saylors as the No. 2 back.
“I just like the thought of having a guy in our system, think that’s important,” he said. “Knows our terminology, knows our guys, knows the protections.
Just kind of knows it all, man. Understands our quarterback and how he thinks.
I just think that’s important.”
Of course, this is still Jahmyr Gibbs’ backfield. Saylors isn’t about to turn Detroit into “Sonic and Knuckles” part two or anything close to it.
Gibbs will handle the heavy lifting, and he probably would have done that even if Pacheco were healthy. But Saylors looks more than capable of handling those 4-5 touches a game when Gibbs comes off the field, and he appears ready to hold up in pass protection, too.
For a player with Saylors’ path, this is the kind of break that changes everything. The pride of East Tennessee State, one of four Buccaneers currently in the NFL and the only one to spend his entire college career there, he went undrafted in 2023 and spent time with the Bengals, Falcons, Giants and Browns on camps and practice squads over two years.
He also had two separate runs with the St. Louis Battlehawks in the UFL, where he led the league in rushing yards in 2024.
Detroit added him in late July 2025. He missed the initial roster, then got promoted days before Week 1. Last season, he barely touched the ball on offense, carrying it just twice for 11 yards, but he made himself useful on special teams.
Saylors played 281 special teams snaps, returned 33 kickoffs for 897 yards with a long of 39, and added eight tackles in 2025. If he keeps contributing there while also handling backup running back duties, he could become one of the more important glue guys on the roster.
He says he’s approaching that third-phase work with a different mindset now.
“Last year I was playing more so not to mess up, than to make plays [on special teams],” Saylors said. “I feel like this year, having a year of confidence under my belt in the scheme with [special teams coordinator Dave Fipp], some of the other guys… My biggest goal is to make plays for this team.”
He isn’t the only one in the mix. Sione Vaki, a 2024 fourth-round pick, and 2024 UDFA Jabari Small are also competing for the top reserve job. Vaki has battled injuries and is still learning the running back position after playing safety in college, while Small has yet to appear in an NFL game and could simply be holding a roster spot until Detroit makes another move.
Vaki offers more upside, but Saylors has the edge in experience, especially when it comes to protections and the limited rushing work that comes with the role. The Lions can ease Vaki in as the season goes on, health permitting.
For now, though, the path is there for Saylors to be the second back Detroit uses behind Gibbs. That’s a rare kind of opportunity for an undrafted player, and it gives him a chance to become a real contributor on what could be one of the NFL’s top offenses.
It’s what you hope for when you sign that first UDFA deal.
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