Jahmyr Gibbs: Scouting Report. Everything You Need To Know

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NEXT ON OUR SCOUTING REPORTS IS JAHMYR GIBBS. CHECK OUT OUR OTHER 2023 NFL DRAFT SCOUTING REPORTS HERE.

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Height: 5’11”
Weight: 200 lbs
College: Alabama
Year: Junior
Position: Running Back

BACKGROUND

Jahmyr Gibbs is an electric, dynamic, all-purpose running back, whose skill set will translate to the next level. He has immense ability to impact the ground and passing game and will be an offensive weapon who will have a vast impact on whichever NFL team is lucky enough to pick him.

Born in Dalton, Georgia, Jahmyr Gibbs attended Dalton High School, where he was a 4-star recruit. He was labelled the 4th ranked running back and the 44th recruit nationally in his recruitment class. Gibbs committed to Georgia Tech early, at the end of his junior year, and reaffirmed his commitment in his senior year after receiving offers from Florida, Georgia and Alabama.

In his 2 years at Georgia Tech, Gibbs played in 19 games. Scoring 8 touchdowns and averaging 5.2 yards per carry. He ended the 2021 season ranked 3rd in the country in all-purpose yards.

In November 2021, Gibbs took the decision to enter the transfer portal. He then announced a month later that he would be transferring to Alabama. Who he had been recruited by in his senior year of high school.

At Alabama, Gibbs has been able to demonstrate his multifaceted game. Becoming one of the key offensive threats for the Crimson Tide.

As a runner, Gibbs is uber-athletic, extremely twitched up and is a sharp and purposeful rusher. As a receiving threat Gibbs runs smooth but savvy routes, he has clean hands and is able to transition from catcher to runner sharply.

Gibbs has all the makings of a successful well-rounded NFL running back who should be spoken about as one of the top running backs and one of the most dynamic offensive weapons available in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Watch the video below which showcases Jahmyr Gibbs’s all-round skill set.

STRENGTHS

Athletic
Receiving threat
Speed
Explosiveness
Creative

Jahmyr Gibbs is a superb athlete. He is explosive and twitchy while having immediate burst. Gibbs has both the short-area quickness and deep-field pace to pick up the hard yards and be a home run hitter. He can accelerate in a hurry and can shift through the gears to have the staying pace to canter on long runs. He can alternate his gears rapidly and has the stop/start ability which gives him his great change of direction. Everything Gibbs does well stems from his athletic ability. Which gives him the foundation to be a dynamic offensive weapon and be adaptable to most situations.

As a runner, Gibbs rushes with purpose and power. His running style is extremely powerful, where he strides with intensity and authority. He is able to run with force and vigour while remaining light-footed. Gibbs does have good contact balance despite his slimmer frame. He can absorb hits, especially low ones, and generally takes care of the ball. Gibbs’ athleticism makes him springy and bouncy to find and hit his running lane and makes him flexible and limber enough to turn corners with sleekness.

Gibbs displays excellent instincts and impulses where he can use his patience and athleticism to hit running lanes with purpose and resolve. He has excellent field vision, he has the foresight to spot where the space will be and has the creative imagination to make plays. In short areas, Gibbs shows good spatial awareness where he can use his intelligence to anticipate and react.

Receiving Threat

While Gibbs is superb in the ground game, as a receiving threat is where he really takes his game to the next level. Gibbs is an outstanding receiving threat and offers incredible versatility. He is superior at catching out of the backfield, being used on screenplays and as a check-down option. But, he can also split outside and play as a wide receiver. He runs solid routes and has the skill and subtlety to create separation and is elusive after the catch. Gibbs’ hands are gluey and slick and he has a really good catch radius for a running back. He can catch the ball outside of his body cleanly before then reverting back to his energetic and enterprising running style.

WEAKNESSES

Strength
Pass Protection

While Gibbs is a complete back there are some areas to work on.

The first is his frame. On tape, he looks slim. It means that he isn’t overly strong and can’t overpower defenders with his strength. It impacts areas of his game like when he is fighting through contact. While he can take contact he isn’t really a tackle breaker and doesn’t have the strength to compete with tougher and bigger defenders. He knows this and can stand upright too much into contact at times which can cause unnecessary collisions and avoidable hits.

The next issue is his pass protection. It is the area which has the most room for improvement. While we shouldn’t expect an electric playmaker at the running back position to be able to block like a lineman he does need to fix the issue. Too many times his lack of it puts his quarterback in a precarious position.

To start with his lack of strength and overall physicality means when he does pick up his blocks he isn’t able to generate leverage. All he does is momentarily slow down the rusher instead of maintaining his blocks. Then comes his reads. Gibbs needs to improve his presnap reads on passing downs. He can read defences wrong and end up completely in the wrong place. Gibbs often picks up the wrong man being fooled by and drawn in. He needs to develop his ability to recognise blitzes and then add some weight to be able to protect better.

SUMMARY

Gibbs should be viewed as a pure dynamic offensive weapon rather than a pure traditional running back. Gibbs offers all the traits that running backs now need to be successful in the NFL. He should be able to see the field on most downs due to his ability to not only impact the ground game but the passing game also.

It is Gibbs’ ability to impact both the running and passing game effectively which makes him such an exciting prospect. His elusiveness during the run and after the catch allows him to make things happen. He is a juiced-up, lively, zesty runner who will inject tempo, energy and initiative into any offence.

Expect Gibbs to be one of the first running backs to be taken in the 2023 NFL Draft and make an impact on an NFL team on Sundays.

How good of a prospect is Jahmyr Gibbs? Let us know over on Twitter @NinetynineYards

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