NFL Draft 2026: RB medical report - Mike Washington, Demond Claiborne, Eli Heidenreich
I feel the need, the need for speed
The Lions may have signed Isiah Pacheco in free agency, but his 1-year contract and moderately high medical concern mean that the Lions are still in the market for a long-term partner to Jahmyr Gibbs.
If you like speed, you will be happy with any of these three RB prospects. Any player who runs at the combine gets bonus points from me, and these three lit up the 40-yard dash in Indianapolis. Their times are much more impressive (and credible) than pro day times which may need up to a 0.10 adjustment.
While Gibbs has been remarkably healthy in his career, having a speedy insurance policy seems like a good idea in case he needs to miss any time.
For the full NFL 2026 draft prospect medical analysis page, click here.
Medical concern level ranges from 0 (no concern) to 5 (might be worth the risk if the reward is high) to 10 (take him off your board, Brad).
(Ages in parentheses are at start of 2026 season and are factored into the concern level. Injury info and ages based on available public information and are unverified - subject to update. Games played data courtesy of sports-reference.com.)
Quick summary of medical concern levels
Mike Washington, RB (23): clean - 1/10
Demond Claiborne, RB (22): possible dislocated patella, multiple minor injuries - 3/10
Eli Heidenreich, RB (23): clean - 1/10
Mike Washington, RB (23) - Arkansas
Projected round 2-3. Ran 4.33 40-yard dash at combine, #1 among RB’s. Measurements: 6’ 1”, 223 lb.
Concern level 1/10
2025: 12/12 games
2024: 12/12 games
2023: 11/12 games
2022: 13/13 games
2021: 3 games
You want big? But you also want fast? Washington might be your guy. He also appears to be medically clean as I found no reports of any injuries. He’s slightly older than ideal, but looks like a very low-risk prospect.
His lighting fast 40-time might mean the Lions would need to use their 2nd-round pick on him. That might be too rich for a team that has more pressing needs like OL, EDGE, and safety. But getting a long-term David Montgomery size/speed replacement might be worth it.
He finished college with 587 carries for 2914 yards (5.0 Y/A).
Demond Claiborne, RB (22) - Wake Forest
Projected round 3-5. Ran 4.37 40-yard dash at combine, #3 among RB’s. Measurements: 5’ 10”, 188 lb.
Concern level 3/10
2025: 12/13 games. Exited Game 1 with left rib injury. Possible arm injury Game 4. Exited Game 5 with knee injury. Opted out of bowl.
2024: 12/12 games. Dislocated patella?
2023: 10/12 games. Missed final 2 games with possible leg injury.
2022: 10/13 games
There are a lot of vaguely reported injuries to sort out with Claiborne, but his availability has been generally good. His young age is a plus.
A patella dislocation often results in some cartilage damage which could have residuals. If that’s what he had, evaluating his history and anatomy can help estimate the likelihood of recurrence.
In college, he finished with 558 carries for 2599 yards (4.7 Y/A).
Eli Heidenreich, RB (23) - Navy
Projected round 5-7. Ran 4.44 40-yard dash at combine, #5 among RB’s. Measurements: 6’ 0”, 198 lb.
Concern level 1/10
2025: 13/13 games. Unspecified minor injury late in season. Possible tweaked knee in penultimate game.
2024: 13/13 games
2023: 12/12 games
This Midshipman may have been dinged up a couple times in his final season, but nothing seems significant. His availability has been perfect. The only minor issue is that his age is a tick high, even though he played only three years in college.
He finished his career with a modest 169 carries for 1157 yards (6.8 Y/A), but added on a healthy 109 receptions for 1994 yards. Heidenreich’s speed and receiving ability could make for an ideal backup to Gibbs.
For more running backs the Lions may consider…