Lions’ Jahmyr Gibbs ‘knew for a fact’ Cowboys were going to take him 26th overall if on board in 2023 draft

Pro Bowl running back Jahmyr Gibbs has exploded on to the scene in the NFL since being selected 12th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions.

Despite being in a clearly defined tandem with veteran David Montgomery, Gibbs profiles as one of the best five to 10 running backs in the entire NFL across the entirety of his career the last season and a half. He ranks inside the top 10 of NFL running backs in rushing yards (1,672, 10th), yards per carry (5.5, second), rushing touchdowns (17, fifth), scrimmage yards (2,190, eighth), scrimmage yards per touch (5.8, third) and scrimmage touchdowns (19, eighth) even though his 304 career carries are the 20th most in the league since 2023 while his 378 career touches are 18th in the NFL. 

However in another series of events, one of the NFL’s most efficient backs might have landed with another team or two if Detroit had opted to not select him as high as they did in 2023. Gibbs himself actually didn’t even expect to be a Lion when the draft rolled around.

“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 told retired Super Bowl champion cornerback Richard Sherman on “The Richard Sherman Podcast” on Thursday. “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.”

* Among 57 running backs with at least 150 touches since 2023

The Cowboys could really use Gibbs right now. Since Pro Bowler Tony Pollard departed to the Tennessee Titans in free agency last season and Dallas opted to start two rookies on the offensive line (first-round pick Tyler Guyton at left tackle) and center (third-round pick Cooper Beebe), they now have the second-worst ground game in the league, averaging just 83.7 rushing yards per game. The Bengals are in a similar spot with their rushing attack, averaging the fourth-fewest rushing yards per game in the NFL (89.7). Cincy traded longtime starter Joe Mixon to the Houston Texans this offseason, and his replacement Zack Moss is likely done for the rest of 2024 with a neck injury.

Dallas ended up drafting defensive tackle Mazi Smith out of Michigan 26th overall while the Bengals selected edge rusher Myles Murphy out of Clemson 28th overall. The Cowboys are still waiting for Smith to prove himself since Pro Football Focus ranks him as their lowest-graded defensive tackle in the entire NFL (30.3 PFF defensive grade, last out of 120 qualified defensive tackles). Cincinnati is in a similar position with Murphy since PFF grades him 92nd (54.3 PFF defensive grade) out of 112 qualified edge rushers. Both franchises are left to wonder what if when it comes to Gibbs thanks to the Lions aggression in drafting a running back within the first 15 picks back in 2023.