Seahawks NFL Draft Profile: Antonio Gibson

As the draft inches closer and closer, the Seahawks are still looking to add to both their wide receiver and running back position groups. Thankfully, this crop of receivers is as deep as they come and there are some running backs that check off a lot of boxes for Seattle.

But perhaps the Seahawks could kill two birds with one stone and focus their attention on the offensive and defensive line with the rest of their picks? Wouldn't that be great? I present to you Antonio Gibson, running back and receiver hybrid from Memphis.

Strengths

As you may have guessed, one of the strengths of Gibson is his flexibility to do damage at multiple positions. A wide receiver by trade, he got a handful of snaps in the backfield for the Tigers in 2019 as well. And after a late in the week position change at the Senior Bowl, Gibson showed what his future could ultimately hold.

Gibson has the prototypical size of a running back, standing at 6-foot and weighing in at 228 pounds. At that size, he ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash, which surely opened the eyes of many. Thanks to that speed, he proved himself a gifted kick returner, averaging 28 yards per return last season.

Flat out explosive as a ball carrier from anywhere on the field, Gibson touched the ball just 94 times in 14 games in 2019 but turned those 94 touches into 1,749 all-purpose yards and 13 touchdowns. He averaged 11.2 yards per carry as a running back and 19.2 yards per reception as a receiver.

With years as a wide receiver under his belt, Gibson already understands route concepts and features good hands, making him a potential matchup nightmare for years to come, especially if playing for a creative offensive mind.

Weaknesses

Gibson carries the dreaded "one-year wonder" tag entering draft week after playing in just five games for Memphis in 2018. He isn't a quick cut player like current Seahawks running back Chris Carson and his tight hips can cause some problems.

With just 33 carries and a few practices at the Senior Bowl under his belt, Gibson is still learning the intricacies of running back position. He has much room to develop reading his blocks, especially on inside runs, as he mostly ran sweeps and other outside runs when featured in the backfield at Memphis.

Because of the lack of practice reps available without minicamps and OTAs, Gibson will need to make incredible strides early to help his team early in 2020, regardless of whether he's primarily a running back or receiver. Teams must be okay spending the draft capital on a player who may not give them more than kick return value until 2021.

Where He Fits in Seattle

So we have a long-time wide receiver making a late transition to running back? Hmm... does that profile ring a bell to anybody? Well if you thought of C.J. Prosise, you'd be correct. But before you go on a rant about how bad Prosise was, remember that the talent was never the issue for Prosise. He just couldn't stay healthy.

In fact, the few times he was healthy, Prosise was one of the most tantalizing talents in the Pete Carroll era. Gibson could be the Seahawks second chance at Prosise and if he can avoid the same durability issues as Prosise, we know the Seahawks have a good plan to utilize his talents.

At worst, Gibson can take over kick return duties for Tyler Lockett and act as a third-down back while getting a handful of snaps out of the slot. Gibson's ceiling is as a poor man's Alvin Kamara and checks multiple boxes for the Seahawks.

Gibson is expected to go in the third or fourth round, but don't be surprised if the Seahawks draft him with their second or third pick. Gibson is a home run-hitting, touchdown-creating potential star who can help plug three areas of need and his skill set cannot and should not be ignored on Friday.