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RB Sione Vaki, DET (1 Viewer)

BobbyLayne

BobbyLayne

Footballguy
4th round draft pick (4.32, 132nd)

Very long odds here because of the current situation, but thought I should crosspost this from the RB Lotto Tickets thread as few are aware of him.

Don’t sleep on 4th round pick Sione Vaki. He’s not even a last round pick in redraft at this point, but in dynasty he’s worth a stash if you have big rosters. He’s having a good camp and looked great in PS Week 1 @ NYG.

At Utah he played both S and RB. He went to the combine and tested with the DBs. 31 teams thought he would make a good Day 3 pick for a DB. Detroit traded up because Campbell & Holmes said they would feel sick if they left the draft without him - and to everyone’s surprise, including Vaki, they announced the pick (#132) as a running back. He has exclusively played HB since OTAs.

Utah stats (12 G, 693 snaps at SS, 76 at HB):
  • 51 tackles (37 solo)
  • 1 INT, 2 PBU
  • 2 sacks
  • 8.5 (-37) TFL
  • 1-16 on KR
  • Receiving 11-203-16.9-3
  • Rushing 42-317-7.6-2
  • PFF grade 94.0 on offense
8.54 RAS

4 carries for 29 yards in his debut.

Sione Vaki's juke moves disorient Giants defenders

College highlights
(note - offensive plays are the first half, so you can skip the rest once you see him smashing ballcarriers. Got an interception intended for Ricky Pearsall & sacked Michael Penix.)

Craig “Netflix” Reynolds, who scored a TD on 4th & 1 in the divisional round playoff game, probably has RB3 on lockdown. For now.

Vaki is competing with Jermar Jefferson, a 2021 day 3 pick who has spent almost all of his career on the practice squad (think he played once as a rookie.) Both are having a really good camp, drawing praise from Campbell and OC Ben Johnson. Snap counts in WK 1:
  • Zonovan Knight 20
  • Jake Funk 15
  • Vaki 12
  • JJ 9
I would interpret that as less usage = more secure, more snaps = on the roster bubble.

He has some wiggle, and could coaches love him. They also trust Craig so it’s gonna be tough for him to see the field, but he is 100% going to make the team as they love him on ST (4-phase guy.)

One to monitor for now. I have a feeling they gave a play package just for him.


Day 3 Running Backs don’t often pan out. Even the earliest Day 3 running backs are nearly twice as likely to bust as their Day 2 counterparts.

Isaiah Pacheco, Aaron Jones, Chris Carson, Devonta Freeman and Lamar Miller stand out, and it’s still possible Zamir White or Dameon Pierce or Chase Brown buck this trend. Tyler Allgeier seems like a very capable back.

Stranger things have happened.
 
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Rookie RB Vaki Comfortable in Space, Focused on Being Better at ‘Dirty runs’

Allen Park — Sione Vaki was on the field more than 1,300 plays during his two seasons at the University of Utah, but fewer than 6% of them came on offense.

Regardless, those limited snaps revealed enough playmaking potential that the Detroit Lions drafted the safety to play running back. And the glimpses of potential from last week’s preseason opener against the New York Giants suggest it was the right decision.

Vaki lined up in the backfield for the first time late in the opening half, running into a gap-plugging linebacker his first carry, resulting in a modest 1-yard gain on the 2nd-and-4 play. After a Giants penalty gave the Lions a fresh set of downs, they went back to the rookie, tossing him the ball heading left, allowing him to showcase his impressive feel for navigating through traffic for a 9-yard pickup.

But it was his next run that left more than a few mouths agape.

Taking a shotgun handoff, Vaki was blessed with a massive lane, sealed open by center Kingsley Eguakun and guard Ike Boettger. Shooting into the second level, Vaki angled left around two Giants linebackers before expertly slicing upfield, behind a block from slot receiver Tom Kennedy.

The 15-yard gain looked so smooth, start to finish, you wouldn’t believe Vaki registered a meager 42 carries in college.

This is a man who came to his pre-draft meeting with the Lions not knowing what to call many of the basic concepts of the running back position, instead utilizing diagrams he drew to help communicate explanations to the staff. That old-school approach wowed position coach Scottie Montgomery.

All rookies go through a crash course when they arrive to the NFL, and most are overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information put on their plates.

For Vaki, it’s been so much more.

He’s not only learning a new scheme, he’s essentially learning a position from scratch. That includes reading blocks, running routes and protecting the quarterback.

And, frankly, given where he’s beginning, he’s off to a strong start.

“Scottie’s doing a great job with him,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “A lot of it is, man, your landmarks in the run game, inside runs, tackle-to-tackle, vision inside, the feel of it, and he just needs a lot of reps at that The perimeter stuff? He’s got a feel and he’s grown. Protection, he’s starting to figure it out.”

Even though Vaki hasn’t had a chance to display the skillset in games, the receiving component is coming easiest. He’s always been comfortable running routes and catching passes, dating back to playing receiver in high school.

Where Vaki is focused on growing is the touches where he doesn’t get the ball in space or have a wide and obvious lane.

Those are the “dirty runs,” short-yardage and goal-line carries, where you have to abandon patience, lower your pads and try to power through for the 2 or 3 yards needed.

“Yeah, just going, not stuttering or stopping, things like that, shooting it straight on,” Vaki said. “That's what I need to work on the most.”

In terms of protection, it’s usually one of the last things rookies pick up, mostly because they didn’t have to do it often in college. It goes without saying that was the case for Vaki. But the way it’s taught by Montgomery, where he wants his backs to be the aggressors — being the first to deliver the hit — it plays to Vaki’s background as a defensive player.

“We still want to be the ones delivering the hit,” Vaki said. “We don't want to sit back and wait for that physicality to come to us. Coach Montgomery helps with taking up all the space, taking up all the grass, getting in the gap and meeting them. You get to them before they make their move, where you catch them off the guard.”

While Vaki navigates the nuances of the running back position, the Lions expect special teams to be his early-career calling card. He was exceptional in those roles at Utah, and the skillset appears to be porting over, at least on the practice field.

Within that, both sides are still trying to figure out his best role in the revamped kickoff format, with serving as a return man still an option.

There’s unquestionable value in special teams, especially in Detroit, where its emphasized by Campbell. But Vaki’s ceiling exists in his ability to contribute on offense, as well. Even with these preseason flashes, he knows they’re happening against defenders unlikely to make their respective teams’ 53-man roster.

Campbell likes to talk about things in terms of college class level. Vaki is still in 101, and probably will be for a while. When does he realistically think he’ll be ready to graduate, reaching a point where he won’t be overthinking every time he gets the play call in the huddle?

“Yeah, maybe three years, or four,” he said with a smile.

If that 15-yard run is indicative of his future, it has the potential to be worth the wait.



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Very much appreciate this insight ... I never heard of him ... and at this point my Rookie 5.03 pick is "on deck" and I need RB Depth
 
Birdie048 said:
Very much appreciate this insight ... I never heard of him ... and at this point my Rookie 5.03 pick is "on deck" and I need RB Depth
Click to expand...

6-22 rushing and 4-60 receiving in the first half today.

picked up 36 yards on these 2 catches (2 minute offense, led to a FG)

BTW, he’s a good candidate for a taxi squad spot if your league has one. Craig Reynolds will open the year as RB3.

But he’ll get some run at some point. Very raw, played WR in h.s. and 94% of his snaps at Utah were at S. Between his last 2 years of college & 2 preseason games he has ~ 120 offensive snaps & 52 carries.
 
[Justin Rogers, Detroit Football Network]

It's getting difficult to not get caught up in the hype being generated by Sione Vaki.

The wildly inexperienced rookie running back got a chance to showcase his receiving chops against the Chiefs, which proved particularly potent during that two-minute drill at the end of the first half. For the series, he hauled in four balls for 59 yards before the offense stalled deep in the red zone.

In addition to his pass-catching prowess – which Vaki described as his current strength during an interview earlier in the week – the rookie runner churned out 22 yards on six carries, mostly operating between the tackles. In that same interview, he identified those inside, "dirty" runs as the biggest area where he needed to improve.

Craig Reynolds' experience and reliability likely keep him ahead of Vaki on the depth chart for the time being. There's just so much more experience needed for the rookie who logged a mere 42 carries on fewer than 100 offensive snaps college, but, at this rate, Vaki is going to push his way into a role on offense earlier than most reasonably expected.
Click to expand...
 

Stock up: Running back Sione Vaki​

Vaki’s arrow continues to point up after an even more impressive showing than his preseason debut. Anyone who took a look at his college tape, or has seen the way he’s been utilized in practice, knew it was only a matter of time before the rookie running back’s receiving ability would show up.

Beyond the four catches for 60 yards you’ll see on the box score, you have to understand how crisp Vaki’s route-running looked and how elusive he was in the open field. You aren’t wrong to think he looked like the second-coming of Theo Riddick when he hauled in an angle route down to the 5-yard line in the closing seconds of the second quarter.

Add in a quality special teams stop covering a punt and there’s growing reason to believe the Lions have unearthed a Day 3 draft diamond, even if it takes another year or two before he truly starts realizing his full potential.
 
BL, I added him in dynasty because I got around to looking at players really late this year and he looked like the best of what was left. I love to see this. He’s been called a “lock” to make the team in some reports that I read on MSN.

Ah, and again today from Sports Illustrated.

"His growing confidence and abilities on special teams make him a virtual lock to make the roster."

www.si.com

'You Felt Growth': Dan Campbell Quickly Learning About Sione Vaki

Lions rookie running back had stellar performance against Chiefs.
www.si.com www.si.com

We shall see if the pundits are correct.

Dan Campbell says he’s further along in the pass game than in the run game due to (I’d imagine) his lack of college carries and offensive experience.

"So now it's like, can you use him on offense? Is there a place? He's a lot further along in that part of the game (passing) than he is just carrying the football. A lot of that is because he really hasn't done it. Taking the carries, the vision of the play, the cuts, the reads, all of that."
 
[Athlon Sports]

Sione Vaki, RB, Detroit Lions​


Leave it to an old-school headbanger like Detroit Lionshead coach Dan Campbell to find the best ways to use a true two-way player like Sione Vaki. The fourth-round rookie from Utah was a safety and running back in college, and the Lions are giving him every opportunity to make his way on the offensive side of the ball.

Vaki responded brilliantly in Detroit's Saturday win over the Kansas City Chiefs, and one drive told most of the story. All of a sudden, Vaki was neither a safety nor a running back. Now, he was Detroit's most productive receiver on a drive that ended the first half. Vaki blew up Kansas City's defense with quick catches out of the backfield, and his own ability to force missed tackles and make the most of his opportunities after the catch.

x.com

x.com x.com

Vaki is trying to carve out a role that goes beyond special teams at this point. As Campbell observed after this game, Vaki's reps didn't hurt his case.

“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. At one point, his facemask gets ripped off, which I don’t even know how that is possible. I mean, we are in the NFL. I mean, it was just laying on the ground. You felt growth from him.”

Sounds like a Dan Campbell guy, no?
 
[Dave Birkett]

Lions basically scrimmaged today, a lot of 1s vs 1s since they won’t be playing Saturday.

(RB3) Craig Reynolds also hobbled off with a lower-body injury he’s being evaluated for.


Hoping Reynolds is OK, he's a core STer and decent RB.

Next man up would be Sione Vaki.
 
JohnnyU said:
JohnnyU said:
I now have made room for one share. Probably a cut for me on cut down day
Click to expand...
@Birdie048 Are you thinking whether he’s a last cut? These types of guys usually are.
Click to expand...
From the play & adaptability I see him making the 53 Man Squad.
I don’t know the total draft capital spent to trade up & the selection pick to put a more complete value on him but the actions present as he will make 53 IMO.

Monty & Gibbs are primary RB while Craig Reynolds is the veteran security role who excels at pass protection. That is the learning curve Vaki has to meet - pass pro at a level coaching requires. The part I see as interesting is Reynolds & Vaki are basically the same size but athleticism edge goes to the “Rookie”.
So, yes I see him making the final roster
 
Birdie048 said:
JohnnyU said:
JohnnyU said:
I now have made room for one share. Probably a cut for me on cut down day
Click to expand...
@Birdie048 Are you thinking whether he’s a last cut? These types of guys usually are.
Click to expand...
From the play & adaptability I see him making the 53 Man Squad.
I don’t know the total draft capital spent to trade up & the selection pick to put a more complete value on him but the actions present as he will make 53 IMO.

Monty & Gibbs are primary RB while Craig Reynolds is the veteran security role who excels at pass protection. That is the learning curve Vaki has to meet - pass pro at a level coaching requires. The part I see as interesting is Reynolds & Vaki are basically the same size but athleticism edge goes to the “Rookie”.
So, yes I see him making the final roster
Click to expand...
I was talking fantasy. You reacted to my post as 🤔 regarding he will probably be a final cut for me.
 
Birdie048 said:
I don’t know the total draft capital spent to trade up & the selection pick to put a more complete value on him
Click to expand...

It’s in one of the articles I posted…

The team traded a fifth, sixth, and future fourth-round pick to get in return the fourth-round pick they used on Vaki and an additional sixth-round pick in return.
Click to expand...

ETA

Philadelphia → Detroit Philadelphia traded their fourth- and sixth-round selection (132nd and 210th) to Detroit in exchange for their fifth- and sixth-round selections (164th and 201st) and a 2025 fourth-round selection.
 
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BobbyLayne said:
Birdie048 said:
I don’t know the total draft capital spent to trade up & the selection pick to put a more complete value on him
Click to expand...

Philadelphia → Detroit Philadelphia traded their fourth- and sixth-round selection (132nd and 210th) to Detroit in exchange for their fifth- and sixth-round selections (164th and 201st) and a 2025 fourth-round selection.
Click to expand...
So from a Draft Capital consideration, 2 x 4ths, and a 5th and 6th ==> equivalent to a mid/late 3rd if I look at it right
So a Day 2 RB taken on a High Offense climbing team offers value and high ceiling to me.

Yes, he is worth a roster spot in most/all leagues and I have 1 share ... looking to get another when WW runs
 
cockroach said:
Hot Sauce Guy said:
eighsse2 said:
Is he injured or why no touches today?
Click to expand...
Injured. Hurt his shoulder a couple weeks ago.

Not considered serious, but why risk re-injuring it.
Click to expand...

Pretty sure he's played in the preseason since then.
Click to expand...

he didn’t play bc he earned a spot already

they wanted to give guys a chance to put out tape so they might get picked after Tuesday (Jake Funk, Jermar Jefferson, Zonovan Knight)

Campbell talked about if they’re not in a fight for one of the last spots, why not play them so maybe they can catch on somewhere else. HC thinks like a guy who knows how hard it is to chase that dream.
 
All 22 Films
Sione Vaki has made a name for himself through two games for the Lions, averaging over 9 yards per touch, including 4 catches for 60 yards in Saturday's win over the Chiefs.
#Lions #DetroitLions #Detroit
Click to expand...

x.com

x.com x.com

The 4th Round pick has shown significant burst and the ability to break tackles on Run concepts, while performing well on Special Teams, as well.
#Lions #DetroitLions #Detroit
Click to expand...

x.com

x.com x.com
 
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