The Detroit Lions have shown some interest in Cam Skattebo, arguably the most physical back in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The deadline has passed for NFL teams to host draft prospects for top-30 visits to their facility. However, reports are still trickling in regarding visits that have already taken place. And according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Detroit Lions were one of the last teams to meet with Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo.
If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Skattebo was listed as the grittiest running back in Erik Schlitt’s Grit Index, a metric created as an attempt to measure the kind of football character the Lions covet. So it should come as little surprise the Lions have some interest in Skattebo.
“Whoever gets him is going to have one of the most aggressive and physical runners that we’ve seen in the last few years. He’s a fun one,” NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said of Skattebo.
After transferring from Sacramento State in 2023, Skattebo became the starter at Arizona State. His 2024 campaign was wildly successful, rushing for 1,711 yards (5.84 YPC) and 21 touchdowns, while adding another 605 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns—production numbers only behind presumed top-10 pick Ashton Jeanty.
The main question here, though, is how would he fit on the Lions roster? Detroit already has their top three running backs set with Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, and Sione Vaki. Montgomery and Vaki are signed for the next three seasons, while Gibbs is under contract through 2026 with a fifth-year option to lock him up for that third season, as well. Skattebo’s skillset does overlap significantly with Montgomery, but the Lions just gave the veteran running back an extension back in October.
Most likely if the Lions end up selecting Skattebo, he would be Detroit’s RB4, contribute significantly on special teams for the first year or two, and could develop into the long-term “thunder” role in Detroit’s rushing attack.
