Jahmyr Gibbs’ Development Aided by Jared Goff
The Detroit Lions had very few issues from an offensive standpoint during the 2022 season, and in fact, finished the year as a top-five offense. Yet, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s unit has a chance to be even more dynamic and explosive this upcoming season.
One of the reasons why: Do–it-all, rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs.
Gibbs, the No. 12 overall pick in this past April’s NFL Draft, made an impact as both a running back and receiver during his collegiate career.
The dual-threat back started off his time as a college athlete at Georgia Tech, where he spent his first two collegiate seasons. In his final campaign with the Yellow Jackets in 2021, he totaled 746 yards and four scores on 143 carries, while adding another 465 yards and two scores on 35 catches.
Then, in his lone season with Alabama a year ago, the 5-foot-11, 200-pounder amassed a team-best 926 rushing yards and seven touchdowns (on 151 carries). He also led the Crimson Tide with 44 receptions for 444 yards and three scores.
He did all of this while also contributing to Alabama’s special teams unit. He returned 13 kickoffs for 258 yards, with a long of 57 yards. And, in total, he recorded 1,628 all-purpose yards, good for third in the SEC and 21st in the nation.
As Gibbs prepares for his debut season in the NFL, there are plans to use the multi-purpose weapon both out of the backfield and out wide as a receiver. And, throughout the first week of training camp, he’s already received reps at both spots.
It’s something he’s been working on getting adjusted to, along with taking playcalls on a more frequent basis from inside the huddle. Luckily, Gibbs has received assistance along the way, most notably from Detroit veteran signal-caller Jared Goff.
“At first, it took me a while (to develop that rapport), because I’m not used to being in the huddle,” Gibbs told reporters Sunday, on Day 7 of Lions training camp. “In college, we had all signals. Over time, it’s been going slower, and he’s (Goff) been helping me a lot after practice.
“It feels great. Being part of an offense like that, and being able to help -- they probably didn’t need a lot of help. But, just me adding to it, I think this (offense) could be more productive.”
The Lions haven’t shied away from the fact that Gibbs will be very involved in their offense from day one.
He immediately received first-team reps at the onset of training camp, and he’s even been deployed out wide when fellow back David Montgomery has been lined up in the backfield.
"It's very important getting us ready for future games and the big games we have in the future," Gibbs said of the first-team reps he’s received in practice so far.
Getting Gibbs and Montgomery on the field at the same time is likely a sign of things to come for Detroit’s offense in 2023.
It’s also a stark departure from last year’s offensive scheme, when the team’s backfield duo of D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams rarely shared the field.
Johnson, the Lions’ second-year offensive play-caller, is excited about the impact that the Gibbs-Montgomery tandem will have on his unit.
“They both do things. They really excel at different kinds of things, and we like that about them. It gives us versatility,” Johnson said of the Gibbs-Montgomery duo, during the first week of training camp. “So, I -- and to that point, I think it’s very much the vision we had before them. That’s kind of what we were hoping out of Jamaal and Swift, and certainly Jamaal fit that mold of what we were asking him to do. And so, I think having both of those guys out there is going to be good for us.”
Gibbs, meanwhile, is soaking up as much as he possibly can from Montgomery. Montgomery, the more experienced of the two backs, spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Chicago Bears.
“David, he’s my big brother,” Gibbs expressed. “So, he’s teaching me some stuff from his experiences and all that, (and) the same with the other group of guys: Craig (Reynolds) and Jermar (Jefferson).”
