“He was dominant in special teams periods, at one point getting to the returner first for what would have been a tackle (no hitting or pads in minicamp) on three straight reps he took part in on the coverage team.”
Rookie Running Back’s ‘Terrific’ Footwork
Vaki came to the Lions with just one collegiate season of experience at running back, having converted from a safety and defensive back prior to the 2023 season. Christian Booher of SI.com’s All Lions noted that he was a natural fit, rushing 15 times for 158 yards and two touchdowns in his first game as a running back for the Utes.
Twentyman wrote that he continued to look sharp carrying the ball at Detroit’s minicamp, which opened on May 10.
“In individual running back drills, he showed terrific footwork, agility, and balance, despite the fact the safety-turned-running back had just 42 carries in college after agreeing to move to offense because of injuries at the position,” Twentyman wrote. “He chipped in 317 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while catching 11 passes for 203 yards and three more scores.”
Detroit Lions Rookie/Former Utah Weapon Sione Vaki (#28) already had 100+ receiving yards and multiple explosive plays at this point.. but this Red Zone TD was his most impressive play against USC.
The cut AND ensuing acceleration. I get it. He’ll quickly become a fan favorite. https://t.co/7hv7MyI7v1 pic.twitter.com/x9LP6DicPM
— Al Karsten (@FootballGuy_Al) May 8, 2024
Twentyman added that Vaki showed off “terrific hands and good route-running ability” in individual drills.
Jeremy Reisman of SB Nation’s Pride of Detroit also had plenty of praise for Vaki, noting that he “came away impressed with his decisiveness and downhill running style.” Reisman also hinted that Vaki could be a contender for return specialist, a position of increased importance under the league’s new rules encouraging kickoff returns.
“The Lions spent a portion of practice on the new kickoff. Media rules prevent me from detailing where specific players were playing, but I’ll just let you know that Vaki’s special teams potential certainly shined during this portion of practice,” Reisman wrote.
Brad Holmes Hints at Plan for Rookie RB
Holmes revealed that the team initially started scouting Vaki when he was a safety, noting that the team’s scouts followed his transition to running back and was impressed by his field vision.
“I first saw him when he had first made the switch when they got kind of short at running back there at Utah,” Holmes said, via SI.com. “They just had him fill in. But we were more so looking at him as a safety, but he looks so natural as a runner. I was like, ‘Wait, where did these backyard instincts of his come from of just him running the ball and making these plays?’ Not only does he have these instincts that are (more) natural (than) we thought, he’s not even majoring in it.”
Holmes added that the Lions could lean into Vaki’s versatility, expanding his role beyond the backfield as more of a pass-catcher and special teams player.
