The video of the Lions’ war room before drafting Jahmyr Gibbs with the No. 12 pick went viral this offseason and fans immediately began to read into what this meant for Detroit. The franchise landed the Alabama tailback after a 2022 season where its offense was one of the best in the NFL, leading the sports world to speculate just how much better the team would be.
And on Sunday, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson hinted that the team would be getting a bit creative with their new weapon.
“We might use Gibbs in some ways that people don’t quite think we might,” Johnson said, per Lions insider Tim Twentyman.
Interesting from Lions OC Ben Johnson on rookie RB Jahmyr Gibbs: "We might use Gibbs in some ways that people don’t quite think we might."
— Tim Twentyman (@ttwentyman) September 2, 2023
Gibbs, 21, rushed for 926 yards and tallied 444 receiving yards in 2022, making him one of the best offensive weapons in college football. It’s worth noting that the Lions lost running back Jamaal Williams to free agency after the he led the team in rushing and the NFL in rushing scores.
Gibbs is set to backup David Montgomery, whom the Lions signed in March.