Getty Jahmyr Gibbs on the field for Alabama against Tennessee in 2022.
The Detroit Lions came into the first round of the 2023 NFL draft with the sixth-overall pick. They traded back, and after making that move, pulled a bit of a stunner of their own.
Detroit picked Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs with the 12th selection in the draft, which had been acquired along with pick 34 and 168 in exchange for selection six and 81.
It can be rare for a running back to go in the first-round of the draft, but with Bijan Robinson being selected by the Atlanta Falcons, the stage was quickly set for another surprise.
As soon as Gibbs was revealed to be the pick, the media started to explode. NFL analyst Ross Tucker was stunned by the move of the team to pick a runner in the first-round.
The Lions did WHAT?
“The Lions did WHAT?,” Tucker tweeted.
Perhaps a greater indication of the move? D’Andre Swift, who was already rumored to be on the trading block, could be on the way out now. Justin Rogers of the Detroit News pointed that fact out.
“So, uh, bye Swift?,” Rogers tweeted.
Some, including Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, wondered why the Lions didn’t just select Bijan Robinson with the sixth-overall selection instead of Gibbs.
If Lions were going to take Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12, why not just take Bijan Robinson at No. 6?
“If Lions were going to take Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12, why not just take Bijan Robinson at No. 6?,” the site tweeted.
ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky was quick to point out how deep the Detroit backfield now is with Gibbs and lots of different players.
Gibbs there…with swift and Montgomery?!?!?
“Gibbs there…with swift and Montgomery?!?!?,” Orlovsky tweeted.
Warren Sharp was not a fan of the move. As he said, the Lions became a main character of the day with the pick, and it wasn’t in a good way.
Each day on twitter there is one main character. The goal is to never be it
LOOKING AT YOU DETROIT LIONS
“Each day on twitter there is one main character. The goal is to never be it. LOOKING AT YOU DETROIT LIONS,” Sharp tweeted.
ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell put his frustration with the move into pictures, showing a photo of Jamaal Williams smiling and then crying to show how disappointed he was with the team taking a running back.
Me talking about the Lions draft capital / me seeing what the Lions did with their first pick
Still, if there was some ray of hope, the Lions could be getting a player that compares favorably to Alvin Kamara or Chris Johnson according to Dane Brugler of The Athletic, as shown in a tweet by Chris Burke.
.@dpbrugler had Gibbs ranked No. 22 overall in this class. One-line summary: “Though his workload will need to be managed, his talent is a mixture of Alvin Kamara and Chris Johnson.”
“Dane Brugler had Gibbs ranked No. 22 overall in this class. One-line summary: “Though his workload will need to be managed, his talent is a mixture of Alvin Kamara and Chris Johnson,” Burke tweeted.
Put it all together and while there is upside, it’s clear that not everyone was a fan of seeing Gibbs landing in Detroit early on.
Jahmyr Gibbs’ College Stats & Highlights
In terms of Gibbs, the comparison to either Alvin Kamara or Tony Pollard at running back is eye opening. Detroit’s ground game was already solid in 2022, but questions could hover over it in 2024. Namely, does D’Andre Swift have a future long-term?
In the event that one of those players is gone, Gibbs could make sense as an elite plug-and-play option. The youngster is one of the most exciting running backs in college, and has plenty of big plays to his credit with Alabama already.
As a whole, Gibbs put up 2,132 yards on the ground with 15 touchdowns. He also caught 103 passes for 1,212 yards and eight receiving scores. That proves what a dynamic playmaker he could be for a team like Detroit that is searching for offensive explosion.
Lions Weren’t Scared of Drafting Running Back
Why a running back for the Lions? The team had been doing homework at the position and seemed poised to strike on landing someone in the draft. Detroit passed on Robinson, but last week, they showed signs they weren’t going to be backing down on making the pick.
Speaking to the media last week, Detroit general manager Brad Holmes explained that he isn’t going to be scared away from drafting a runner in the first-round because he has seen it work before. Ari Meirov tweeted about the quote.
#Lions GM Brad Holmes on taking a RB with a high pick: “I understand the narrative. … I don’t think anyone said in ‘16, ‘17 or ‘18, ‘Oh man the Rams took Todd Gurley at 10.’ He was just a really good RB and we didn’t bat an eye.”
(Holmes was with the Rams when they took Gurley)
“Lions GM Brad Holmes on taking a RB with a high pick: “I understand the narrative. … I don’t think anyone said in ‘16, ‘17 or ‘18, ‘Oh man the Rams took Todd Gurley at 10.’ He was just a really good RB and we didn’t bat an eye.” (Holmes was with the Rams when they took Gurley),” Meirov tweeted.
Detroit brought David Montgomery into the mix, and he will be a dynamic weapon. They will also run it back with D’Andre Swift next season as well. With that said, the backfield could have questions beyond 2024.
Now, with Gibba around, those questions would seem to be answered, even if not everybody is excited about the move.