Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs was the Cincinnati Bengals pick in our final seven-round mock draft because of some unexpected board movement.
Turns out that might be a very realistic scenario on Thursday night.
While talking about interesting links between prospects and teams, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer noted the Bengals alongside Gibbs:
Always intriguing to hear what teams are interested in the same guys, and such is the case with the Giants and Chiefs leading up to tomorrow, with both linked in NFL circles to Boston College WR Zay Flowers and Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs. I’ve also heard the Ravens and Vikings connected to Flowers, and the Bills and Bengals tied to Gibbs, with both being intriguing jacks of all trades for creative offensive coordinators. Both should go Thursday.
It’s certainly not hard to see why the Bengals would like Gibbs. He’s an elite pass-catching threat who seems faster than anyone else on the field. At Alabama, he dropped two of 105 catchable passes while gaining 1,215 yards and eight scores.
Given how defenses adapted to the Bengals last year by dropping safeties, Gibbs would force defenses back up or risk getting torched underneath. That would open up the deep passing game again, to say the least.
So while running back isn’t the first thing Bengals fans have been thinking of, the team clearly has.
