Detroit Lions rookie running back Sione Vaki already feels like a Dan Campbell-type player.
The two-way Utah product displays a gritty, rugged style that fits perfectly in Campbell's system. Then, after his first carry in Saturday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Vaki emerged from the pile with his facemask missing, which endeared him further to his new coach.
"At one point, his facemask gets ripped off, which I don't even know how that is possible," Campbell said after Detroit's 24-23 preseason win in K.C., via the team's official transcript. "I mean, we are in the NFL. I mean, it was just laying on the ground."
(Reading the above quote like it's a Bill Brasky Saturday Night Live sketch makes it even better.)
Vaki spent most of his college career at safety and only joined the Utes backfield for the final six games last season after injuries struck. However, the brief showing convinced Lions general manager Brad Holmes and the rest of the staff that Vaki could be a productive running back. Detroit made him a fourth-round pick.
Through two preseason games, the rookie has flashed. In the opening game against New York, he was Detroit's most efficient runner, generating 29 yards on four carries (7.3YPA). Saturday, he flashed pass-catching ability, snagging four balls for 60 yards on an impressive end-of-half drive.
Given that he's a neophyte to the running back position, Vaki's instincts, tackle-breaking ability, and the flashes in the passing game are impressive.
"I would say it is early right now to say here is what we are going to do for him," Campbell said. "I would say the more you learn about a player and the faster you can figure out what they can do, the better off it is for everybody. We already felt like this kid is going to have the ability to play special teams. Well, now it is like, can we use him on offense? He is a lot further along in that part of the game than carrying the football. A lot of that is really because he hasn't done it: taking the carries, the vision of the play, the cuts, the reads and all of that. But in the pass game, I thought he stepped up. He is another guy that is in that boat. The two minute drive at the end of the game, wow, that was huge. He was making a play and he was tired and he keeps going and keeps pushing himself through it. ... You felt growth from him."
Hidden in Campbell's praise is a key to the Lions' success over the past few years: "The more you learn about a player and the faster you can figure out what they can do, the better off it is for everybody."
Too often, coaches attempt to force a square peg into a round hole, insisting a player bend to what the team needs instead of sanding the edges and ensuring players are put in spots that best fit their skills. The best coaches meld the two, living in the gray instead of black and white.
Vaki will likely spend his rookie season playing special teams and caddying for Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery as he continues to learn the position. However, the upside and improvement he's shown during camp and the preseason should make the coaching staff comfortable tossing him into the fire if an injury should strike one of the top two backs.
