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By Charlie Campbell
Weaknesses:
Summary: Before falling on some hard times and lean years, Georgia Tech used to be a steady program for producing good NFL talent. But after suffering some bad seasons, a lot of quality Yellow Jackets players went under the radar, and that was the case for Gibbs as well. In 2020, Gibbs averaged 5.2 yards per carry for 460 yards and four touchdowns. He also showed impressive receiving ability with 24 catches for 303 yards and three scores. In 2021 for Georgia Tech, Gibbbs averaged 5.2 yards per carry for 746 yards and four touchdowns. He also recorded 35 receptions for 465 yards and two touchdowns.
Prior to his senior year, Gibbs transferred to Alabama. The new opportunity showed how talented Gibbs was in that he immediately becamse the starting tailback for the Crimson Tide despite the program having a lot of five-star recruits already at the position who had more experience in the offense. In 2022, Gibbs averaged 6.1 yards per carry for 926 yards and seven touchdowns. He also had 44 receptions for 444 yards and three scores. There were a number of games where Bryce Young and Gibbs bailed out their teammates and some bad scheming/play-calling by Bill O’Brien.
Gibbs is a natural runner with three-down-starting potential for the next level. The first trait that jumps out about Gibbs is his speed. He is a fast back with a quick first-step and a burst to the second level. He can pull away from defenders, making him a threat to take any carry or reception down the field for a huge gain. Gibbs does not have the speed of Chris Johnson, but he is a fast back who provides a speed mismatch out of the backfield. Gibbs is slashing shifty speed back who is in the mold of an Alvin Kamara or Christian McCaffrey. In the NFL, Gibbs will be a threat to break off long runs due to possessing rare quickness for a starting back.
On top of being fast, Gibbs is a natural runner. He displays excellent vision, body lean, and patience, plus he runs behind his pads. Gibbs sets up blocks well and uses his speed to dart through holes before they close. Defenders really struggle to get a hold of Gibbs, who has great feet that make him very elusive. He is sudden with his ability to cut and change direction. To go along with suddenness, Gibbs has a devastating jab step and cutbacks to the inside, and he routinely uses that combination to make tacklers grab air. His abrupt juke even works on defensive backs. With his change-of-direction skills and quick feet, Gibbs can create for himself, turning bad looks into big runs all on his own. Gibbs is also an asset to bail out his line when blocking assignments are missed.
While Gibbs is not the biggest of backs, he does have strength to his build and is able to break tackles while picking up yards after contact. He is not overpowering for the NFL, but he will be able to shed tacklers to get additional yards. Gibbs also finishes runs well, delivering some blows to defenders while falling forward.
Gibbs is well-suited for the passing-driven NFL because he is a superb receiving back. He runs good routes out of the backfield and has soft hands. All college backs need to be coached up and groomed for blitz protection in the pros, and Gibbs will have that learning curve as well. However, he has the potential to be a contributing blitz protector at the next level.
Sources from a few teams have said separately that Gibbs is one of the best players for the 2023 NFL Draft, regardless of position. He may not go that high because of team needs and the downgrading of running backs. Thus, Gibbs might be more of a late first-round or early second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He has the potential to be an impactful runner in the NFL as a three-down starter and could be a Pro Bowler early in his career.
Player Comparison: Alvin Kamara. Some team sources think Gibbs could be used like Alvin Kamara in the NFL. They have similar skill sets with devastating speed, running ability, receiving ability, and big-play potential.
RELATED LINKS:
2023 NFL Mock Draft: Charlie’s | Walt’s
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