The Detroit Lions are shaking up their running back stable.
According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Lions are waiving running back Kerryon Johnson. The former 2018 second-round pick from Auburn tallied 1,225 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on his 283 career carries in Detroit. The 23-year-old started in 16 of his 34 games played over the past three seasons with a 4.3 yards per carry.
Johnson had a down season in 2020 with just 181 yards and two touchdowns on 52 carries, a downtick from his 2019 season that saw the 5-11, 211-pound back produce 403 yards and three touchdowns on 113 carries.
The former Alabama Madison Academy product could never build upon his rookie season, where he rushed 118 times fro 641 yards and three touchdowns. In his last year with the Lions, Johnson saw his role diminish as Adrian Peterson and D’Andre Swift took the bulk of the carries.
Detroit selected a running back in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL draft in former Oregon State back Jermar Jefferson.