Inside the Article:
When Brad Holmes selected RB Jahmyr Gibbs with the No. 12 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, there were quite a few people who wondered if the Detroit Lions GM had lost his mind. After all, the running back position is not valued as highly as it once was, and the Lions had just signed free-agent RB David Montgomery to a multi-year deal. During a recent interview, Holmes revealed that he first fell in love with Gibbs when he watched him during the Alabama vs. Texas game.
Holmes reveals when he fell in love with Gibbs
During a recent interview with Peter Schrager, Holmes said he first fell in love with Gibbs when he watched him play for Alabama during an early season matchup against Texas. Holmes added that Gibbs is a “positionless weapon.”
“You know, when you talk about all the running backs going in the first round and that kind of stuff,” Holmes said. “You know, I always say, like, if he’s a weapon, then forget the RB position. That’s what he is like. That’s what they mean. We thought he was a multi-phase elite, explosive, positionless weapon.”
Gibbs stats vs. Texas
Though Holmes says he fell in love with Gibbs during his game against Texas, it was not one of his best games of the season in terms of rushing the ball. During the matchup, Gibbs carried nine times for 22 yards (2.9 YPC). That being said, being the “multi-phase elite, explosive, positionless weapon” that he is, Gibbs also caught nine passes for 74 yards and a touchdown.
Bottom Line: Jahmyr Gibbs will be a weapon for the Lions
Holmes would not have selected Gibbs so high in the NFL Draft if he did not believe he would be a difference-maker for the Lions right off the bat. With Montgomery joining him in the backfield, Gibbs likely will not get 20 touches per game, but when he does get the rock, look out!
