The Detroit Lions made one of the more surprising picks in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, selecting Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12 overall.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, though, the Lions were prepared to take Gibbs at No. 6.
Breer wrote on May 1 that his “sense” was that Lions general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell “felt the same way about” Gibbs and Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon. But Witherspoon went to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 5 overall.
That left the Lions two choices — draft Gibbs earlier than most expected or target a different player they didn’t like as much.
“The initial idea [for the Lions] was to get Witherspoon (or Anderson) at No. 6, then trade up from 18 to get Gibbs,” Breer wrote. “Then Arizona traded out, the Colts took Anthony Richardson and, finally, to the Lions’ chagrin, the Seahawks took the draft’s top corner.
“A scenario under which, indeed, Detroit was ready to say who cares? and break the internet by taking Gibbs.”
But thanks to the Arizona Cardinals, a third option presented itself, affording the Lions an opportunity to draft Gibbs later in the first round.
Lions Prepared to Draft Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 6 Overall
Obviously, the NFL draft is a very tricky thing to navigate. That’s because there are a few different things teams try to achieve through the draft, and those goals don’t often conjointly align.
After Witherspoon went off the board to the Seahawks, Breer says the Lions were prepared to take “finding value” off the draft priority list in order to select the player they loved the most still remaining on the board.
That player was Gibbs. But then at the last moment, the Lions received “a life raft” from Cardinals general manager Monto Ossenfort.
“The Cardinals gave Holmes the shot to pick up a high second, slide back six spots and, fingers crossed, still land Gibbs, by staying in front of two teams the Lions heard liked him, in the Patriots (at 14) and the Jets (at 15),” wrote Breer.
Drafting Gibbs at No. 6 could have “broken the internet” for a couple reasons. First, had the Lions selected Gibbs at No. 6, it would have been the first time since 2018 where a running back went in the top 6 of the NFL draft.
Furthermore, Gibbs, and not Texas’ Bijan Robinson, would have been the first back off the draft board.
Most draft analysts ranked Robinson the clear-cut top running back going into the draft. Some analysts even had Robinson rated as the top prospect in the class.
Lions Trade Back, Draft Gibbs & Jack Campbell in First Round
Obviously, the Lions missed out on drafting the top cornerback in the class. But all things considered, they landed a strong collection of players with their first two selections, which turned into three after the trade with the Cardinals.
“Instead of Witherspoon and Gibbs, they wound up with Gibbs, and Iowa LB Jack Campbell (at 18) and TE Sam LaPorta (at 34)” wrote Breer.
NFL.com identified defensive line, cornerback and tight end as the Lions’ biggest draft needs. While they only addressed one of those needs with their top three picks, Detroit managed to add playmakers on offense and defense early.
Then in the middle of the second round, they added versatile Alabama cornerback Brian Branch.
Holmes navigated the start of the 2023 NFL draft for the Lions by adjusting on the fly. The trade back from No. 6 was the biggest key factor.
But it’s still fascinating to hear that they loved Gibbs so much during the pre-draft process that the Lions were close to making him the No. 6 overall choice.
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Lions Were Ready to ‘Break the Internet’ With 6th Overall Draft Pick