2023 Stat Prediction for Jahmyr Gibbs
Detroit Lions rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs has all the makings of a dynamic offensive talent.
Gibbs, the No. 12 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, was a do-it-all playmaker during his college career.
He spent his first two collegiate seasons with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, before transferring to Alabama for the 2022 campaign.
While with the Crimson Tide, the 5-foot-11, 200-pound back produced a team-high 926 rushing yards and seven touchdowns (on 151 carries). Meanwhile, he also led Alabama with 44 receptions for 444 yards and three scores. He did all of this while also making an impact on special teams. In fact, he returned 13 kickoffs for 258 yards, with a long of 57 yards. In total, he amassed 1,628 all-purpose yards, good for third in the SEC and 21st in the nation in 2022.
Gibbs was the definition of a dual-threat weapon during his time with the Yellow Jackets and Crimson Tide. In fact, he hauled in a combined 103 passes for 1,215 yards and eight touchdowns in his three years as a student-athlete.
Detroit running backs coach Scottie Montgomery is well aware of the multi-dimensional ability that the former Alabama back brings to the table.
"You've got to look at it several ways,” Montgomery said of the Lions selecting Gibbs. “(Gibbs) is bringing a value also in the passing game that is a large, large value. And then, you add that to what he can do from a dynamic standpoint in the run game, and at the end of the day, it is about value.
“It's one of those situations where you looked at it, and as Brad (Holmes) and Dan (Campbell) looked at it, there was a value that we saw in this young man. It was a value that they saw in him, and we made the decision to go get him.”
Now with the Lions, Gibbs is expected to assume D'Andre Swift's job as the team's No. 2 back. Swift was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles on Day 3 of this past April's draft, leaving the Crimson Tide product with a much bigger role in Ben Johnson's offense.
Similarly to how he was used at both Georgia Tech and Alabama, expect Johnson to deploy Gibbs as both a runner and a receiver.
Additionally, if Gibbs were to directly replace Swift's production from a season ago, he'd be in line for 542 yards and five touchdowns on 99 carries. In 2022, Swift also amassed 48 receptions for 389 yards and three scores.
At this present juncture, I'm going to say Gibbs stays healthy for 16 of 17 games in 2023, and records 113 carries for 509 yards and five touchdowns. Additionally, I'm willing to predict that he'll contribute another 375 yards and three scores as a pass-catcher (on 50 receptions).
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