The New York Giants take a running back in the first round of NFL.com writer Peter Schrager’s mock draft.
It just isn’t Bijan Robinson.
Instead, Schrager projects Big Blue to draft Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs with its 25th overall pick as the heir apparent for team holdout Saquon Barkley.
Here’s Schrager’s rationale behind the pick:
“This selection would be prime tabloid fodder in New York, but with Saquon Barkley’s future in limbo, Joe Schoen gets another back in Gibbs, who can contribute on special teams and play out wide, as well.”
Gibbs’ versatility is truly his calling card. He rushed for 926 yards for the Crimson Tide last season while adding 444 receiving yards and 258 kickoff return yards.
Throw in his 10 total touchdowns from 2022 and you have a prospect worth considering in the first or second round, according to NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein.
“(Gibbs is) more than capable of adding juice to the offense,” Zierlein wrote in a scouting report. “He’s a slasher who can stretch defenses wide, and he has the wiggle to elude tacklers in space. However, he could see his effectiveness diminished inside. Gibbs might be better off with a more measured carry count as an RB2, but his versatility and pass-catching prowess will give creative play-callers an opportunity to exploit certain personnel groupings and find mismatches in space.”
Jahmyr Gibbs goes off again and then hits them with the “Night, Night.”
Here’s what you need to know about Gibbs and where negotiations stand with Big Blue’s current RB1.
Jahmyr Gibbs Compared To Saints RB Alvin Kamara
Many scouts see Alvin Kamara when they turn on Gibbs’ film.
It’s an easy comparison to make. Like Kamara, Gibbs can play multiple roles as a receiver and returner. Both players are around 5-foot-9. And they both played for Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide; Gibbs started off at Georgia Tech, while Kamara ended up at Tennessee.
Kamara and Gibbs even share a speedy “second gear” scouts look for, according to ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay.
“It’s gonna be the same thing with both of them, right?” McShay said on ESPN’s First Draft Podcast. “Injuries, can they stay healthy? But when they’re on the field and they’re 100%, they change the game. They catch the ball, create, force missed tackles and they have that second gear here.”
Gibbs’ “second gear” could actually trump Kamara’s.
Gibbs posted a 4.36 40-yard dash at the 2023 NFL Combine in March. That’s nearly two-tenths of a second faster than Kamara’s 4.53-second dash in 2017.
The next great @AlabamaFTBL RB? @Jahmyr_Gibbs1 clocks in a 4.40u 40!
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That speed difference shows up on tape, per McShay.
“Jahmyr Gibbs is the fastest player on the Alabama team,” McShay said. “When I sat down in the meetings and talked to their staff, he had 23 point something miles per hour. This dude not only is shifting left and right and twitchy and can make the cuts, he is explosive fast. Wide receiver fast.”
Should The Giants Draft Another RB With Gibbs?
Gibbs is gaining ground on consensus top running back prospect Bijan Robinson, per reports.
MMQB Senior NFL reporter Albert Breer said he’s heard Gibbs’ name connected to both the Bills and Bengals in first-round discussions. McShay said he’d consider Gibbs as soon as Robinson’s off the board, too.
“To me if you’re going to take a running back, (Gibbs is) the guy you want.” McSay said. If you can’t get a Bijan Robinson, I would take him late in the first round.”
Draft experts and insiders might be more eager to take Gibbs in the first round than Big Blue, though.
Owner John Mara has publicly stated his desire for Saquon Barkley to end his career as a Giant. And even though Barkley and the team are far apart in current contract negotiations, Barkley is still in the team’s future plans.
He also has New York’s $10.091 million franchise tag. If the Giants draft Gibbs, they’d commit even more finances to a position that isn’t highly-priced around the league.
Barkley is a special talent. Gibbs could be, but doubling up on ballcarriers might carry too much risk for New York.
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Mock Draft: Giants Add Barkley Replacement Compared To Alvin Kamara