Jahmyr Gibbs’ name has come up more alongside the Cincinnati Bengals in the days leading up to the draft.
Granted, no rumors or buzz from official insiders have really linked the Alabmaa star to the team. But he’s come up more and more for the Bengals in mock drafts and pre-draft chatter.
Maybe it’s a case of the too-long draft process finally working to Gibbs’ name. But some of the writeups make sense.
Take a mock draft from Charles Davis of NFL.com, who has the team taking Gibbs in the first round:
The Bengals lost dependable RB Samaje Perine to Denver and are seemingly always on the lookout for explosive playmakers, which leads them to Gibbs, who reminds many of Saints runner Alvin Kamara. Mississippi State CB Emmanuel Forbes makes a lot of sense here, too.
And The Athletic’s Jay Morrison made a perfect point about fit and contracts:
There’s a school of thought that says no way in hell at No. 28, but yes at Nos. 33 or 34 or 35 if they trade back. But given how electric Gibbs’ film is and how great of a fit he would be in the Bengals offense, how does a gap of five to seven picks turn into that sort of a chasm? If a back is a great talent and an even better fit, and it’s a position where you know you’re probably not going to give a second contract, the fifth-year option becomes a luxury, especially given the number for running backs ($8.4 million this year) is the lowest of any position.
That’s the best argument for Gibbs in the first round if he’s their best player available — they get a fifth-year option at a “devalued” position and his skill set as an explosive weapon through the air will force defenses to play close and honest.
On paper, Gibbs would be an excellent complement to Joe Mixon as a No. 2 running back.
So while this does feel more like everyone covering their bases for any possible pick as opposed to official reports linking them to Gibbs, the Bengals could very well have some similar thoughts heading into Thursday night.
