What pick was Jahmyr Gibbs?

Jahmyr Gibbs, born on March 20, 2002, is a professional football running back for the Detroit Lions in the NFL. Gibbs showcased his talent early at Dalton High School, where he rushed for an impressive 4,882 yards and 70 touchdowns over his high school career. His standout senior season, with 2,554 rushing yards and 40 touchdowns, earned him recognition as Georgia's 6-A Offensive Player of the Year and a spot on Sports Illustrated's All-American team. Initially a three-star recruit, Gibbs committed to Georgia Tech, where he made an immediate impact in his freshman year.

After two productive seasons, Gibbs transferred to Alabama, where he continued to shine, leading the team in rushing yards and contributing significantly as a receiver. In the 2023 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions selected Gibbs in the first round. In his rookie NFL season, he was named to the Pro Bowl and earned a spot on the All-Rookie Team.

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Jahmyr Gibbs’ Draft

Gibbs was drafted by the Detroit Lions as the 12th overall pick in the very first round of the 2023 NFL draft. Running Backs in the NFL are rarely drafted in the first round and this led to various NFL analysts and pundits to criticize the Detroit Lions franchise. However, after the Lions' dominating win over the Broncos, Campbell fired back at the critics in the most subtle way possible.

He said: “I’m just going to bring it back to (Lions General Manager) Brad Holmes. It’s a hell of a job by him, once again.”

Campbell continued: “Took a lot of criticism for those two picks (Gibbs and LaPorta), but they look like they’re okay. So I’m glad we got them.”

Gibbs finished his rookie season with 945 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. He is also a versatile RB who can run with the football and catch passes. The Lions finished their season with a 12-5 record and have also won the wildcard round against the Rams. Currently, the Lions look like a championship contender and they have proven the analysts wrong to say the least.

In a game against the Las Vegas Raiders, Gibbs showed flashes of his true potential where he went for 152 rushing yards, and one touchdown becoming the first rookie running back to have 100 plus yards and 30 plus receiving yards since Larry Sanders in 1989. Gibbs has displayed both powerful running and pass-catching skills, giving the Lions’ offense a lot of versatility.

Gibbs silenced some of the initial criticism surrounding his first-round draft selection. His versatility and late-season surge proved his value to the Lions’ offense. However, many analysts still argue that his overall numbers and lack of consistent dominance haven’t fully justified Lions’ decision to draft him that high.

Lions’ coach Dan Campbell has been very supportive of his two rookies, Gibbs and Sam LaPorta, and rightfully so. In a game against the Denver Broncos, Gibbs and LaPorta combined for five touchdowns and this was only the second time since the 1970 merger two rookies from the same team had scored five times in a single game. The pair are also the only rookie teammates to score at least 10 touchdowns each in the history of the league.