Jahmyr Gibbs NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Alabama RB

HEIGHT: 5'9"

WEIGHT: 199

HAND: 9 1/4"

ARM: 30 1/2"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: 4.36

3-CONE: TBD

SHUTTLE: TBD

VERTICAL: 33.5"

BROAD: TBD

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POSITIVES

— Great acceleration and top speed. Real home run threat.

— Elite burst in the open field.

— Very good change of direction. Changes path with ease and maintains speed.

— Great setup and one-cut ability at the second level. Regularly makes defenders miss.

— Competent pass protector.

— Above-average receiving threat due to skills in the open field.

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NEGATIVES

— Below-average strength and contact balance. Regularly goes down on first contact.

— Footwork between the tackles is too choppy and hesitant; loses momentum.

— Struggles to run with conviction with traffic right in front of him.

— Inconsistent hands as a pass-catcher.

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2022 STATISTICS

— 12 GM, 151 ATT, 926 YDS (6.1 AVG), 7 TD, 44 REC, 444 YDS, 3 TD

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NOTES

— Born March 20, 2002

— 4-star recruit in 2020 class

— Tweaked ankle vs. Ole Miss in 2022, missed following game vs. Austin Peay

— 30 starts over three seasons (18 at Georgia Tech, 12 at Alabama)

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OVERALL

Jahmyr Gibbs is an explosive play waiting to happen.

Gibbs' skill set is centered around his high-end movement skills in the open field. Gibbs shows nasty burst on the perimeter and at the second level. He has lethal one-cut ability to make defenders miss, a trait only made better by his open-field vision and subtle movements to set defenders up for failure. Gibbs also has smooth hips and quick feet, another skill that allows him to maneuver with ease through waves of defenders at the second level or outside the tackles.

Once he earns himself a runway, Gibbs is hard to catch. He hits his top speed at the blink of an eye and he has that extra gear to sprint right past the rest of the defense on his way to the end zone. Few other running backs in this class can even sniff his ability to ruin tackling angles and turn routine runs into chunk plays.

Gibbs is a competent third-down back as well. He could still stand to improve his discipline in pass protection, but he has a decent baseline as well as the strength and willingness to slow down most blitz threats. As a pass-catcher, Gibbs doesn't have the most consistent hands, but he's a weapon if he gets the ball in the short area, especially out on the perimeter. He will be an effective checkdown option.

Where Gibbs can struggle is with contact balance and conviction between the tackles. Gibbs plays with choppy feet, which serves him well to make people miss in the open field but often stunts his ability to get downhill and drive through the line of scrimmage. Gibbs too often plays hesitant when presented with traffic between the tackles, stalling his momentum. Even when Gibbs does make it through the line of scrimmage, his contact balance leaves something to be desired. His frame is big enough to handle contact, but he regularly goes down to the first defender who gets a half-decent tackle attempt on him.

Gibbs' incompleteness may be frustrating at times, but the athletic traits are worth betting on. Players with his burst and top-end speed can be game-changers under the right conditions. Gibbs would be best served in a system that runs outside zone, pin-pull and counter frequently to maximize his ability in space and on the perimeter.

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GRADE: 7.7 (Potential Impact Player)

OVERALL RANK: 31

POSITION RANK: RB2

PRO COMPARISON: Dalvin Cook

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen