5 Questions: What Lions Are Getting in RB Jahmyr Gibbs
Christopher Walsh covers the Alabama Crimson Tide for Bama Central, and answered five questions regarding what the Detroit Lions are getting in running back Jahmyr Gibbs.
1.) What are the Lions getting in running back Jahmyr Gibbs?
Christopher Walsh: A dynamic playmaker who has speed out of the backfield and can catch the ball. Transferring to Alabama obviously paid off for him big-time. He averaged 6.1 yards per carry, and finished second in Crimson Tide single-season history for receptions by a running back with 44.
Alabama Crimson Tide running back Jahmyr Gibbs
Randy Sartin, USA TODAY Sports
2.) What are his biggest strengths and weaknesses?
Walsh: Biggest strength: He's not a change-of-pace back; he's a weapon. We're not talking Barry Sanders, but if he gets into open space, he can go a long way. In the passing game, his speed makes him a really tough matchup for a linebacker. As for weaknesses, he wasn't an interior, grind-it-out back, but that also had to do with Alabama's offensive line. The Crimson Tide didn't quite have the power game, like in years past.
3.) How should the Lions best utilize his skillset in their offense?
Walsh: Move him around. Don't pigeon-hole him as a third-down back. The more unpredictable his role, the harder he'll be to defend.
4.) Are you surprised that multiple running backs went high in this year's draft?
Walsh: No, because players are moving around more than ever before. So, that whole thing about running backs no longer being in their prime at 30 really isn't unique to the position any longer. Very few players are still with their same teams at that age. Also, teams are feeling the pressure more than ever to win now. And, if they believe a running back is going to make the difference -- especially when it's the top position for plugging in players immediately -- they're going to grab them.
5.) What is one thing about Gibbs that most people do not know?
Walsh: He makes a good first impression. When Gibbs transferred to Alabama last year, the Crimson Tide players and coaches were quickly raving about him (including behind the scene), and not just about his speed. Nick Saban doesn't usually single out players until they do something on the field, but the coach kept talking about his leadership and work ethic. The Alabama staff gives out offseason conditioning and weight-room awards, and Gibbs won a bunch of them.
