Perhaps no team in the NFL is expected to take a bigger leap this season than the Detroit Lions. After narrowly missing the playoffs last season, the Lions are favorites to win the NFC North and reach the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

A big reason why is because of Detroit's high-powered offense, which finished top-five in yards and points per game in 2022.

The Lions bring in a brand new offensive backfield this season, headlined by first-round pick Jahmyr Gibbs. Detroit's selection of Gibbs came as a bit of a surprise to other teams given the Lions' addition of veteran running back David Montgomery weeks before the draft.

Montgomery is expected to be the starter, but the Lions have a significant role carved out for Gibbs. Detroit views the latter as a “multipurpose offensive player” according to Adam Caplan.

How will the Lions utilize Gibbs?

Last season, the Lions had a backfield led by D'Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams. The duo complimented each other well, with Williams being the bruising, goal line back, while Swift served as the primary pass-catcher and change-of-pace guy.

That seems to be Detroit's plan for Gibbs and Montgomery. Gibbs caught 104 passes in three college seasons and ran the second-fastest 40-yard dash time at this year's combine (4.36 seconds). Montgomery is a solid pass-catcher as well but is likely seen as the primary ball carrier for the Lions' offense.

“I think we’ve seen a lot of them and we know what we’re going to expect out of both those guys,” Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said. “I think they are very — yes, they are complementary backs. What (Montgomery) does well, Gibbs might not do as well and vice versa, but I think they both are very versatile, so we might use Gibbs in some ways that people don’t quite think we might or Montgomery the same way. I’m really excited to see what they can do out on the field here this week, but we’re going to use them all over the place.”

With Swift and Williams, the Lions had the 11th-best rushing offense in the NFL in 2022. They expect it to improve this year with the versatility that Gibbs and Montgomery bring to the table.

Regardless of how they are used, both Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery will have impact roles for the Lions offense this season. Detroit didn’t use a first-round pick on Gibbs and pay Montgomery over $8 million guaranteed to have one of them sit on the bench for the majority of games.

The Lions start their season on Thursday against the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL's 2023 season opener.