Dallas Cowboys Draft 2023: RB Jahmyr Gibbs scouting report

Scouting report series on this year’s draft prospects with player projections and comparisons. This review is of Alabama Crimson Tide’s Jahmyr Gibbs.

We continue with our 2023 NFL Draft draft prospect review of players that could interest the Dallas Cowboys. Today we look at running back Jahmyr Gibbs from the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Jahmyr Gibbs was given a 4-star recruit rating and was ranked 44th nationally overall in 2020 by 247 Sports. He received a lot of attention around signing day and had over 20 offers from major schools like Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan and LSU, but opted to play for Georgia Tech.

As a freshman Gibbs played in 114 snaps for Georgia Tech. He had 89 attempts for 467 yards on the ground. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry and had four rushing touchdowns. To add to his rushing production Gibbs also made 24 receptions for 303 yards. He also caught three touchdowns and earned an outstanding 132.3 passer rating when targeted.

In 2021 as a sophomore Gibbs continued to stand out for the Yellow Jackets playing 186 snaps on offense. On 143 rush attempts Gibbs ran for 746 yards, scored four rushing touchdowns and averaged 5.2 yards per carry. He again played a major role as a receiver and made 35 receptions for 465 receiving yards. He scored two receiving touchdowns and had a 118.0 passer rating when targeted. At the end of season Gibbs entered the transfer portal. He was later picked up by Alabama where Gibbs would complete his collegiate career.

As a junior Gibbs took on the starting role at running back for Alabama and looked even better. He played on 155 snaps for the Crimson Tide and had 136 rush attempts. He averaged 6.3 yards per carry and rushed for a total of 926 yards. He scored four rushing touchdowns and caught three receiving touchdowns while producing 444 receiving yards. He earned SEC Player of the Week after his performance against Arkansas in Week 5. Gibbs went for 206 yards on the ground and scored two touchdowns during the game. He also averaged 11.4 yards per carry and broke off a 76-yard run, the longest run in his career.

Jahmyr Gibbs

Alabama Crimson Tide

Junior4-star high school recruit

Height- 5’9”

Weight- 199

Hands- 9 1/4

Arm Length- 30 1/3

 

NFL Combine:

10-Yard Time- 1.52s

40-Yard Time- 4.36s

Vert- 33.5

 

Awards:

2021 Second Team All-American

2021 First-Team All-ACC

 

Scorecard:

Overall- 88.3/100

Ball Carrying- 90/100

Contact Balance- 80/100

Receiving- 89/100

Blocking- 45/100

Speed- 96/100

Strength- 74/100

Acceleration- 90/100

Agility- 92/100

 

THE GOOD

• Rapid speed and acceleration. Doesn’t lose his speed on long runs.
• A varied and diverse route tree. Can play as a receiver from the backfield, slot or out wide. Extremely versatile.
• Reliable pass catcher and maybe one of the best dual-threat backs in recent history.
• Great run after catch ability.
• Only two dropped passes in his collegiate career.
• Elite vision to find the hole or open running lanes.
• Silky movement to avoid would-be tacklers.
• Will cut quickly and instantly to hit the next hole.
• For a running back his size he maintains a solid attitude in the power game.
• Adds more value on special teams as a kickoff returner. Scored a touchdown in 2021 on a kickoff.
• 

THE BAD

• Struggles in pass protection and has a hard time getting in the way of blitzers.
• Size. Not just his weight but muscle mass is an issue.
• Will struggle to maintain a high workload in the NFL. Playing him as a bell-cow will lead to injury worries.
• Bigger defensive lines swallowed him whole.
• A great receiver but has a small catch radius.
• 

THE FIT

Jahmyr Gibbs is one of the best running backs that shows good rushing abilities mixed with elite receiving proficiency. His burst, speed and elusive playmaking skills make him a valuable weapon on every NFL roster. His rushing attack is fun to watch but it’s his receiving talents that stand him out from the crowd. With the way the NFL is moving toward this type of receiving running back Gibbs will pave the way for future backs coming into the league and how teams will want to replicate his type of production. If he can build on his upper body strength to become a more able bodied blocker we may see Gibbs garner a heavier workload. His size and mass are the only barriers on him taking heavy impact for a larger snap count.

Late first round talent.

(All scout consensus ranking: 34th)

COWBOYS COMPARISON

Felix Jones