Who Should I Start? David Montgomery or Breece Hall

Sunday, January 19, 12:12 AM

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery rushed seven times for 28 yards during Saturday's playoff loss to the Washington Commanders. He also threw a pass for 20 yards. Montgomery returned from a multi-week absence caused by a knee injury. As expected, he took a backseat to Jahmyr Gibbs, who had twice as many carries and also saw a whopping 11 targets. Montgomery's ability to convert in short-yardage situations makes him a special running back, but there's no denying that he lacks the shiftiness, receiving skills, and big-play upside of Gibbs. Nevertheless, the two continue to form the best running back duo in the NFL. Heading into 2025, Montgomery will have standalone value as a high-end RB3, and he'll also be a premier handcuff option in case Gibbs gets hurt.

Tuesday, July 1, 1:52 PM

New York Jets running back Breece Hall has had a turbulent start to his NFL career. The first ball carrier selected in the 2022 NFL Draft (No. 36 overall) suffered a torn ACL in Week 7 of his rookie campaign after an excellent start. He averaged 5.8 yards per carry and 11.5 yards per reception on 99 total touches. He has flashed upside in his last two campaigns, but New York's offensive environment with Zach Wilson or Aaron Rodgers was not conducive to high-level production, and he's averaged fewer than 4.6 yards per carry since the start of his sophomore campaign. Heading into Year 4, Hall is determined to put his name back in the "high-end" running back discussion. "Just proving that I'm still the guy and still one of the best in the league," Hall said. "Just trying to go out there every weekend and prove that I deserve to be out there." While quarterback Justin Fields has plenty of question marks as a passer, his rushing skill set could open running lanes for Hall behind a potentially improved Jets offensive line. New York's coaching staff has hinted at a split backfield with second-year pro Braelon Allen, but Hall should continue to be viewed as the starter for Gang Green. That said, Fields likely won't target running backs often in the passing game based on his previous trends.