With their second pick in the 2020 NFL draft — and the No. 35 pick overall — the Detroit Lions selected Georgia running back D’Andre Swift.
Normally, the phrases associated with Lions draft picks — phrases such as “top-10 tight end” and “offensive lineman” — evoke memories of pain and failure. But “Georgia running back?” That brings to mind all-time greats (Charley Trippi, Herschel Walker and Terrell Davis), dependable workhorses (Garrison Hearst, Rodney Hampton) and young studs (Todd Gurley and Nick Chubb).
It’s a phrase NFL teams have enjoyed falling back on since the turn of the century: Swift is the 12th Georgia running back taken in the past 21 drafts.