4 types of plays the Lions could look to use rookie Sione Vaki on in 2024
One of the big questions we've been getting a lot in our Detroit Lions mailbag series here at A to Z Detroit is some sort of variation of "what will the Lions do with Sione Vaki in 2024?" Today we're going to attempt to answer that in a way that's not simply saying "everything." Here's […]
One of the big questions we've been getting a lot in our Detroit Lions mailbag series here at A to Z Detroit is some sort of variation of "what will the Lions do with Sione Vaki in 2024?" Today we're going to attempt to answer that in a way that's not simply saying "everything."
Here's four types of plays the Lions could be looking to use Vaki on during his rookie season:
Wildcat
Right off the bat you have to go here. Ahead of the draft the thing we heard the most was that Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and running backs coach Scottie Montgomery loved him and were excited about what they could do with him. To us that meant they were looking to do creative things.
One thing they could look to do is use him as a wildcat and direct snap it to him. Perhaps they could try the snap through Jared Goff's legs thing again. Utah had a ton of success doing wildcat with Vaki in 2023. His acceleration is something to watch.
Catching screen passes out of the backfield
The Lions have Jahmyr Gibbs for this area and he's one of the better pass catching running backs in the league, but Vaki has a lot of YAC ability that the Lions are definitely going to want to explore. Watch how he catches the ball and patiently waits for the block to occur before taking off down field for a touchdown. Nobody is able to catch him.
The angle route
This is the old Theo Riddick special. The idea being that the running back lines up in the back field and then runs out and then angles in immediately for the catch. It's really hard for defenses to stop this, especially when you have a guy that that can stop and turn on a dime. Vaki showed he could do that multiple times at Utah.
Kick return
Vaki hasn't been a return man since high school, but he has the speed and agility to do it in the NFL, especially with the new kick off rules that a guy with his speed can benefit from. We don't have any video of him on a return in college or the NFL, but here's a 99-yard return he had in high school. You can see how shifty he can be out there.
NFL insider thinks Jared Goff could do something no Lions player has done in over 25 years
What a year 2024 has been for Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff so far. He started the year off leading the Lions to their first playoff win in over 30 years against his former team while an entire stadium chanted his name. Then he became one of the leagues highest paid players when he signed […]
