With the 12th selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions selected RB Jahmyr Gibbs from the University of Alabama. Gibbs played two years at Georgia Tech and his final year at Alabama.
Key Points:
- Lions selected running back Jahmyr Gibbs 12th overall
- Gibbs played college football at Georgia Tech University and Alabama.
- Gibbs played two seasons at Georgia Tech and one season at Alabama.
Jahmyr Gibbs: Getting to Know the Detroit Lions No. 12 Pick
Last season the five foot 11 running back played in 12 games, he logged in 151 carries for 926 yards and seven touchdowns; he also caught 44 passes for 444 yards and three touchdowns. In his career between Alabama and Georgia Tech, Gibbs played in 31 games rushing 383 times for 2,132 yards and 15 touchdowns; he caught 103 passes for 1,212 yards and eight touchdowns.
Jahmyr Gibbs Scouting Report
Via Dane Brugler:
STRENGTHS: Quick as a hiccup and makes impressive full-speed cuts … uses sudden steps and varied tempo to create his own run lanes … owns the peripheral visionto feel openings … skillfully presses, sets up his blocks and sticks his foot in the ground to weave through the defense … lateral agility and one-step acceleration makes him a nightmare for open-field defenders … stays balanced at contact to bounce off tacklers or wriggle/twist forward to gain extra yards … pacing and burst as a route runner make him a tough one-on-one cover (lined up in the slot or outside on 26.4 percent of his passing snaps in 2022) … plucks away from his body with reliable hands (one drop on 52 targets in 2022) … understands protections and hot reads to play on any down … recognizes pass rush lanes and can cut down blitzers when he stays low … fumbled four times in his two seasons at Georgia Tech, but didn’t put the ball on the ground at Alabama (195 offensive touches) … experienced kick returner, averaging 23.9 yards per return with one touchdown (44/1,052/1) … his high school and college coaches describe him as a “humble competitor” and “not an attention seeker” … was the most dangerous home run threat for the Tide offense in 2022 and ranked third in the SEC in yards per carry (6.1).
WEAKNESSES: Lean lower body and lacks the desired build or growth potential for the position … average run strength, and momentum can be slowed through contact (only … will finish with some pop but prefers to elude instead of delivering blows at contact … fearless in pass pro but doesn’t have the sand in his pants to anchor vs. full-speed blitzers … inconsistent sustain or redirect as a blocker, struggling to counter after initial contact … workload questions — reached 20 offensive touches in only seven of his 31 career games (surpassed 25 offensive touches only once) … only two career touchdowns on a goal-to-go play … low touchdown output, scoring once every 25.5 carries in his college career … missed three games as a freshman because of injury and one game as a junior because of an ankle
injury (November 2022); injured his left shoulder (October 2022).
Bottom Line: Jahmyr Gibbs is a head-scratching pick
Gibbs is kind of a head-scratching pick for the Lions at 12th overall but could be a solid piece to the offense moving forward. The Lions have struggled in years past with the running back position when it comes to drafting but If Gibbs can stay healthy he could be a solid pick. I guess tonight we have to trust Brad Holmes and trust he knows what he is doing and sees something we don’t.
