The 2023 NFL Draft is nearly here, and it’s time to get to know your incoming rookie class. NFL Draft expert Thor Nystrom breaks down top prospect Jahmyr Gibbs. You can find all of Thor’s 2023 NFL Draft rankings and player previews here.
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2023 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Jahmyr Gibbs
Jahmyr Gibbs | Alabama | 5090/199 | RAS: 8.04
Player comparison: Dalvin Cook
Bio
Jahmyr Gibbs was overlooked through his junior year of high school, garnering only a tepid three-star billing from recruiting services. He was ranked outside the top-600 consensus recruits. From nearby Dalton, Ga., Gibbs committed to Georgia Tech.
Gibbs blew up as a senior. He was upgraded to a four-star recruit. A floodgate of new scholarship offers poured in. Now, he was a top-75 consensus recruit. Gibbs ultimately stayed loyal, signing with the Yellow Jackets.
Gibbs was billed as a centerpiece building block of second-year GT HC Geoff Collins’ rebuilding process. Gibbs looked the part immediately, returning a kick 75 yards on his first touch as a college player.
But while Gibbs flashed whenever he touched the ball, the rest of Collins’ rebuilding effort sputtered. Gibbs earned All-ACC accommodations as a returner both his years in Atlanta, as well as third-team all-ACC honors as a runner as a sophomore. But the Yellow Jackets went just 6-16 over those two seasons.
So last offseason, with Collins on one of the hottest seats in America, Gibbs, eying an NFL showcase, fled Georgia Tech’s sinking ship and signed with Alabama (Collins would ultimately be fired in September). Last season, Gibbs teamed with QB Bryce Young to give Alabama the nation’s most dangerous backfield.
The Crimson Tide offered Gibbs the ability to showcase his entire skillet. He didn’t disappoint, averaging 6.1 YPC while catching 44 balls. As expected, Gibbs declared early for the draft after the season – but along with his other headed-to-the-NFL teammates like Young end EDGE Will Anderson, Gibbs played in the Sugar Bowl. Alabama slaughtered Kansas State.
Strengths
Horror-movie slasher with game-breaking speed. So slippery. High-octane mover who sets defenders up, gets them leaning one way, and clowns them.
Gibbs’ 4.36 forty ranked second among running backs at the NFL Combine behind Devon Achane (4.32). Special ability to access it pronto. Hits the gas and he’s at top speed in a blink.
Gibbs is a puzzle for defenders. He can outrun them, he can evade them in a phone booth, and he introduces doubt when they’re on the prowl by altering tempos. Gibbs is going down on solid contact, but it’s so very difficult to square him up in space.
He has an extremely diverse skillset. Thanks to it, Gibbs was named third-team AP All-American as an all-purpose player last season.
Huge value-add in passing game – very dangerous. Gibbs is one of this class’ best in that phase. Last season, he ranked No. 3 in PFF receiving grade amongst this year’s running back class. Gibbs was peppered with 52 targets by Alabama last year. He converted 44 into catches with only one drop. Over his career, Gibbs dropped only two balls on 123 targets.
He’s a forward-thinking route-runner who keeps his cards close to the vest until the time comes to leverage his movement to shake and his jets to separate. Incredibly, for a running back this size, Gibbs is also capable of making catches in traffic. He caught eight-of-10 contested targets over his career.
That’s an especially useful skill for when you want to use him as a true receiver. Last year at ‘Bama, Gibbs took 87 snaps in the slot or out wide (and 375 out of the backfield).
Gibbs is also an extremely skilled return man. He was his team’s primary kick returner from the day he stepped on campus at Georgia Tech until the day he announced he was leaving Alabama for the NFL Draft. Unless his new team wants to save the usage, Gibbs will be its primary kick returner immediately.
Weaknesses
Gibbs was listed at 200 pounds by Alabama, and disappointingly weighed into the NFL Combine at 199. His lack of play strength is his biggest weakness. It manifests in a few different areas.
It’s not fair to say that Gibbs goes down on first contact, but it is fair to say he’s going down on first solid contact. He makes that difficult on the defense, but Gibbs is out of answers when he gets hit flush.
Because of this, he is so very clearly more comfortable in space than between the tackles. This could especially be seen earlier in his career at Georgia Tech, when Gibbs was a marked man and boxes were more heavily stacked against him.
In 2021, his last as a Yellow Jacket, Gibbs averaged 3.1 YPC on carries to either side of the center and 6.3 YPC on every other run. The year before, 3.5 on the former, and 5.7 on the latter. Gibbs loses his vision and decisiveness in cramped quarters, and he’s dead-to-rights when hands get put on him.
Gibbs is also a poor pass-blocker. He lacks the play strength to jar blitzing defenders, and he has no anchor to drop over the boat at the contact point. Gibbs could get marginally better in this phase if he worked at it – but, honestly, how often are you going to keep a back with this receiving skill back to block when passing?
Alabama, who uses its players situationally as well as anyone, cut Gibbs’ pass-pro reps all the way down to 30 last year. He still allowed three pressures and a sack, posting a dreadful 24.1 PFF pass-pro grade.
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