Inside the Article:
In the realm of off-season moves in the NFL, some decisions can leave a lasting impact on a team's future. One such move has put the spotlight on the Detroit Lions and their selection of Jahmyr Gibbs as the 12th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. This decision has landed them a spot on Bleacher Report's Top 5 list of the worst off-season moves.
Key Points
- The Lions' selection of Jahmyr Gibbs in the 2023 NFL Draft lands them on the list of the top 5 worst off-season moves.
- The decision to draft Gibbs raises concerns due to his similarity in skill set to existing running back D'Andre Swift.
- Trading Swift shortly after drafting Gibbs leaves the Lions with uncertainty in their backfield and questions about their long-term planning.
Why it Matters: Examining the Detroit Lions' Questionable Decision
When evaluating the Lions' choice to draft Jahmyr Gibbs, it becomes apparent that it raises several concerns and warrants closer scrutiny. Prior to the draft, the Lions boasted a quality roster, evidenced by their top-10 DVOA rating from Football Outsiders in the previous season. Furthermore, they already had a promising young running back in D'Andre Swift, who had displayed impressive skills and versatility.
Top 5 worst off-season moves list includes Detroit Lions
Gagnon argues that the Lions had a myriad of options available to them, including the possibility of trading down, rather than selecting a player with a skill set similar to Swift's. Swift's statistics spoke for themselves, with a remarkable 5.5 yards per attempt, placing him second among running backs with a comparable workload. The decision to choose Gibbs suggests a missed opportunity to explore alternative avenues that could have further strengthened the team.
“This is a quality roster that posted a top-10 DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) rating from Football Outsiders last season. And when they were on the clock with the 12 pick in April, that roster already contained D’Andre Swift, who is just 24 years old and is coming off a season in which his 5.5 yards per attempt ranked second among backs with as many carries as he had (99),” Gannon wrote.
“Swift was drafted by the Lions in the second round of the 2020 draft. In three seasons in Detroit, he struggled to stay healthy, but still managed to play in 40 games, rushing for 1,680 yards and hauling in an additional 1,198 receiving yards,” He added.
“They’re stuck relying heavily on a player who will simply have a limited impact as a result of the nature of this pro football era. In three years or less, they’ll almost certainly wonder about all the better routes they could have gone with that selection,” he concluded.
