Over his season-plus in the NFL, Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs has become one of the most electric players in the league and forms arguably the best running back duo in the NFL with veteran David Montgomery.
When general manager Brad Holmes drafted Gibbs with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, fans and analysts were scratching their heads due to the fact that the Lions took a running back so early, and did so after signing Montgomery.
Safe to say, Holmes has been vindicated for his selection of Gibbs, who earned Pro Bowl honors in what was an impressive rookie campaign. In 2024, the Alabama product is on pace to best what he did in 2023.
While Gibbs to Detroit ended up being a match made in heaven, the Lions running back did not expect to end up in Motown on drafy day, as he told former NFL cornerback Richard Sherman on "The Richard Sherman" podcast recently. He thought he was going to either the Dallas Cowboys or Cincinnati Bengals.
"To Detroit, no I really didn't [expect to go there]. I knew they liked me, but you know when you go on a visit, it seems like they all like you," Gibbs said. "It was crazy I knew for a fact Dallas was going to get me at 26 if I was still there, and a couple other places like Cincinnati was going to get me.
"I think they [the Bengals] were going to trade up to like 18 or something around that range. I didn't think I was going to go 12th."
The Cowboys in particular could really use Gibbs' services at the moment, as Dallas has a terrible situation at running back in 2024. The Bengals are better off than the Cowboys are, but they don't have a back with the talent Gibbs possesses.
Gibbs could not have landed in a better situation than the one he did. After all, the Lions have a great, winning culture and Gibbs is running behind the best offensive line in football. He definitely struck gold with Detroit, and vice versa.
