After taking Jahmir Gibbs in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night, the Detroit Lions have decided to trade away current starter De’Andre Swift.
The Lions sent Swift to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a pair of draft picks. According to multiple reports, the 2025 fourth-rounders are headed to Detroit in deals, and the two sides have exchanged seventh-rounders in this year’s draft.
The Eagles needed a running back after losing Miles Sanders in free agency. The Eagles previously signed Rashad Penny to a one-year deal and will now bring in Swift, who was the Lions’ primary back the past three seasons.
Swift, a Philadelphia native, has rushed for a combined 1,680 yards and 18 touchdowns over the past three seasons. He also had 156 catches for 1,198 yards and seven touchdowns in his pro career.
On top of hometown connections, Swift is a product of the University of Georgia. The Eagles used two of their first-round picks this year on Georgia players — Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith. Early in the fourth round, the Eagles selected another UGA prospect, this time cornerback Kelly Ringo. On top of that, the Eagles picked up Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean from Georgia last year.
Swift, a 2020 second-rounder, has one year left on his rookie contract for $1.77 million.
On the Lions’ side, they used the No. 12 selection to add Gibbs, a versatile running back out of Alabama. The Lions also signed ex-Bears running back David Montgomery in free agency. With the addition of Gibbs and Montgomery to the roster, the Lions were exploring options to relocate Swift. This went into effect on Saturday, the third day of the NFL Draft.
