Jahmyr Gibbs, RB Alabama: Offseason 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Gibbs was a four-star recruit from Dalton High School in Dalton, Ga. in the class of 2020

Junior running back Jahmyr Gibbs transferred from Georgia Tech to Alabama this year. Many outlets project the dynamic Georgia native will compete for a first round spot in the 2023 NFL Draft. I can certainly see that as a possibility if Gibbs becomes more consistent, which seems likely behind Alabama’s offensive line.

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Jahmyr Gibbs, RB Alabama: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Junior running back from Dalton, Ga.

Background: Gibbs was a four-star recruit from Dalton High School in Dalton, Ga. in the class of 2020. He was the No. 76 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 70 for Rivals, and No. 79 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 178th in the nation with an 82 grade out of 100. As a high school senior, Gibbs ran for 2,554 yards and 40 touchdowns. He left high school with 4,882 rushing yards and 70 rushing touchdowns. Gibbs earned First-Team All-State honors and was Georgia’s 6-A Offensive Player of the Year in 2019 and 2020. He was selected for the 2020 All-American Bowl in San Antonio. Gibbs transferred from Georgia Tech to Alabama in the spring of 2022.

2021 Production: 12 games, 143 carries, 746 yards, 4 touchdowns + 35 receptions, 465 yards, 2 touchdowns + 23 kick returns, 589 yards, 1 touchdown

2020 Production: 7 games, 89 carries, 460 yards, 4 touchdowns + 24 receptions, 303 yards, 3 touchdowns + 8 kick returns, 205 yards

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed three games in 2020 with an injury

Awards: 2020 Honorable Mention All-ACC, 2020 Second-Team Freshman All-American (The Athletic), 2021 Third-Team All-ACC, 2021 Second-Team All-American (All-Purpose, Associated Press)

Pros: Georgia Tech played him in the slot sometimes, experienced kick returner, only one drop in college, YAC monster, acceleration to pull away from defenders in space, good initial burst, makes hands catches outside his frame, linear burst to break long plays, patiently waits to hit the hole, uses tempo to buy himself time as a runner, untapped potential (Georgia Tech’s offensive line set him up for failure), some twitch to make defenders miss in a phone booth, runs through lower body arm tackles, weaves through the defense, he can plant his foot, turn up field, and take off, loose lower body, good vision in the open field, plus contact balance

Cons: Two fumbles in 2020 and 2021, hasn’t played on special teams coverage units, inconsistent at making the first defender miss, runs high, struggles to sort his way through defenders while running in the A and B gaps, patient to a fault- he needs to know when to just hit the gas, frequently hit behind the line of scrimmage because of Georgia Tech’s offensive line, you don’t want him in pass pro (poor technique and block strength), ducks his head into contact as a blocker, doesn’t attack the football as a receiver, needs to expand his route tree, inconsistent beating defenders to the edge, ball tracking sometimes fails him as a pass catcher

Overview: Gibbs is unofficially listed at 5'11", 200 lbs. He looks much more comfortable in space as a receiver than trying to run between the tackles. The dynamic elements of his game disappear between the tackles, but he flashes speed and acceleration when he turns the corner on outside runs. This could change in Alabama’s offense, but right now I don’t find Gibbs to have much upside as a traditional between-the-tackles runner. There were times where it was hard to evaluate Gibbs as a runner because his offensive line bought him no time. The Pittsburgh game (2021) in particular was ugly. Gibbs had ten carries for negative ten yards but salvaged the day with six receptions for 125 yards. Clemson (2021) was also a massacre. Hopefully playing behind Alabama’s offensive line will afford Gibbs more opportunities as a pure running back.

Overall, Gibbs is a fantastic athlete with a loose lower half that allows him to display twitch and make defenders miss in space. His speed and acceleration are adequate to score from anywhere on the field. However, Gibbs runs high, produces inconsistently between the tackles, and is awful in pass protection. With growth and the benefit of playing in Alabama’s stacked offense, he projects as a Day 2 pick.

Role & Scheme Fit: Outside zone runner who sees 70+ targets per year

Round Projection: Mid Second to Early Third

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 07-16-22