The Detroit Lions could be in for a surprisingly exciting offseason. Lions head coach Dan Campbell owned up to the team's failures in 2025 at the NFL Scouting Combine. He even suggested the team was complacent, which suggests the Lions may attempt to course correct and get more aggressive this offseason. Sadly, the Lions already made one shocking trade that broke up the iconic duo of Sonic and Knuckles.
The Lions agreed to trade David Montgomery to the Texans on Monday in exchange for Juice Scruggs and two draft picks.
Montgomery had recently been floated as a trade candidate after the Lions reduced his workload in 2025. Now Montgomery gets to head to his preferred landing spot and the Lions need to find a replacement.
Detroit's depth at running back behind Jahmyr Gibbs is not good to say the least. Sione Vaki, Jacob Saylors, and Jabari Small are the only other running backs on Detroit's roster to start the offseason. None of them inspire confidence as a regular contributor.
So who will be the new backfield mate for Gibbs in 2026? And will Detroit try to find him via free agency, trade, or the 2026 NFL Draft?
Below we will explore Detroit's three best options for replacing Montgomery after trading him to Houston.
Could Detroit replace Montgomery with a thumper like Tyler Allgeier?
Allgeier has already been playing the David Montgomery role in Atlanta. All that would change (aside from scenery) is complementing Jahmyr Gibbs instead of Bijan Robinson.
So would keeping the same role be appealing to a player like Allgeier?
The way I see it, Allgeier has an easy path to plenty of touches by replacing Montgomery. During his three years in Detroit, Montgomery averaged 187 rushing attempts per season. That's roughly the same as Allgeier's production back in 2023, which is currently the second-most productive season of his career.
I will also point out that Allgeier could see how Montgomery's own stats exploded after joining the Lions back in 2023. It is easy to imagine that the same thing could happen to Allegeir if he signed in Detroit.
Spotrac lists Allgeier's market value at roughly $5.7 million per season on a new deal. They even proposed a three-year, $17.06 million contract that is eerily similar to what Detroit initially signed Montgomery to back in 2023.
If the Lions decide to solve their running back problem in free agency, I expect they'll target Allgeier.
The Lions should target a running back on Day Three of the 2026 NFL Draft
The Lions need to take a look at the crop of running backs in this year's draft class.
There is a pretty simple “running backs don't matter” argument to make here. The NFL routinely sees late-round rookie running backs thrive right away after entering the league.
Look no further than last year's draft class. Cam Skattebo, Woody Marks, and Kyle Monangai all played prominent roles despite being selected in the fourth round. Even running backs selected towards the end of the draft like Jacory Croskey-Merritt had success as rookies in 2025.
Now that does not mean drafting a Day Three running back is the only way to replace Montgomery. But it is an option the Lions need to explore, especially with multiple core players (including Gibbs) set to receive contract extension very soon.
If the Lions do go this route, I can already see a few players that fit the Montgomery mold.
First, there's Washington running back Jonah Coleman. He is a solid all-around running back who excels at the fundamentals. Scouts praise his ball security, leadership skills, and ability to process run-blocking schemes as his main strengths. Those are all qualities the Lions value more than most teams. I could easily see the Lions investing a late Day Three pick on him.
Another intriguing option is Penn State's Kaytron Allen.
Allen is a bruising running back who has great contact balance and vision behind the line of scrimmage. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein even compared him to Tyler Allgeier of all players. His lack of upside as a special teamer could make the Lions a little nervous about him. But if the Lions love his running style, he could be worth a late-round pick.
Brian Robinson could also be a nice fit in Detroit
Robinson is another player I could see fitting well into Detroit's offense.
Robinson was the odd man out in Washington before the 2025 season. That led to the Commanders trading Robinson to the 49ers just weeks before the regular season.
Personally, I was surprised to see Washington give up on him so easily. Robinson had his best season in 2024, logging 187 carries for 799 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.
Spotrac lists Robinson as only having a market value of $3.1 million on a new contract. I think that sounds a little low for a player of his caliber.
If the Lions do sign Robinson, it would likely be on a one-year contract that allows him to prove his worth in 2026. Then, if all goes well, he could stay in Detroit or head to free agency again in 2027 and receive a much bigger payday.
This could work out incredibly well for both sides.
