Bengals: Draft experts confirm rumored interest in RB Jahmyr Gibbs
The Cincinnati Bengals may be in a situation where they move on from Joe Mixon with his current legal issues. So, that makes the running back position an interesting one in this year's NFL draft for Cincinnati. Rumors heated up on Wednesday about the Bengals' interest in Alabama's Jahmyr Gibbs, the consensus No.2 running back in […]
The Cincinnati Bengals may be in a situation where they move on from Joe Mixon with his current legal issues. So, that makes the running back position an interesting one in this year's NFL draft for Cincinnati.
Rumors heated up on Wednesday about the Bengals' interest in Alabama's Jahmyr Gibbs, the consensus No.2 running back in the draft behind Bijan Robinson out of Texas. The link between Gibbs and Cincinnati got even stronger on Thursday morning due to two well-respected draft analysts.
ESPN's Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. each released their final mock drafts for what they feel will happen in the first round. Well, they have the Bengals taking Gibbs with the 28th overall pick.
Gibbs has been mentioned a lot to me this week, and I really think he ends up in the first round. At 5-foot-9 and 199 pounds, he isn't going to be a true three-down back, but he can change an entire offense because of his open-field elusiveness, pass-catching traits and speed. Joe Mixon's future in Cincinnati is unclear, and the running back depth chart is light behind him. Want to get back to the Super Bowl? Team Gibbs up with Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. The Bengals have two picks on Day 2 and could take advantage of a deep tight end class to further stack the offense, too.
With Gibbs still available, I think the Bengals would pounce. Joe Mixon was ineffective last season, and he could be a candidate to be released after the draft. Gibbs is a tremendous pass-catcher out of the backfield, but his between-the-tackles ability is underrated. He'd make this offense better.
James Foster of the A To Z Sports Film Room opened the month of April by diving into what Gibbs can add to an offense.
"He ran a 4.36 in the 40-yard dash, and that time shouldn't be surprising to anybody that watched his film," Foster said. "He has elite acceleration. One cut and he can explode through an open hole and create a big play in the blink of an eye. And then he also has elite short-area quickness to make people miss in the backfield. He can stop his momentum instantly, send the defender flying in the opposite direction, and then regain that speed as he accelerates into the open field."
Gibbs and his ability to hit holes and bounce runs on the outside with his tremendous speed coupled with excellent pass-catching skills (hauled in 103 receptions for 1,212 yards and eight touchdowns in college) make him a dangerous weapon. If the Bengals take him, defensive coordinators will have the A Nightmare Elm Street theme song playing in their heads weekly.
