The Detroit Lions offense didn’t have many highlights in the first half of their preseason opener against the New York Giants. But amidst a bunch of punts and three-and-outs, there was one ray of sunshine: rookie running back Sione Vaki.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73510679/vaki.0.png)
Vaki only got four rushes on the night, but it’s easy to see his potential. The rookie running back made the most of his four carries, rushing for 29 yards—including this 15-yard rush right up the gut of the Giants defense.
.@sione_vaki showing off the moves on the way to a pickup of 15#DETvsNYG | 📺 Lions TV Network pic.twitter.com/lDwI2lHhjd
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) August 9, 2024
On this play, Vaki displayed a lot of great qualities. First, his vision was exceptional, allowing his blocks to develop and hitting the holes at the right time—sticking his left foot in the ground to cut upfield between a linebacker and the safety. Then he makes another man miss at the next level and lowers his shoulder for an extra couple of yards.
Vaki is still very much a player learning the running back position after playing safety for most of his college career, but this is a promising start to the career of Detroit’s 2024 fourth-round pick.
