Lions fans receive a big scare, but there's no reason to be overly concerned yet
Detroit Lions fans have heard plenty of hot takes about the team's strategy in last month's draft. The Lions surprised a lot of folks by selecting Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs with the No. 12 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. Gibbs, who originally played at Georgia Tech before transferring to Alabama, totaled over […]
Detroit Lions fans have heard plenty of hot takes about the team's strategy in last month's draft.
The Lions surprised a lot of folks by selecting Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs with the No. 12 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Gibbs, who originally played at Georgia Tech before transferring to Alabama, totaled over 1,300 yards from scrimmage in 2022 for the Crimson Tide.
Taking Gibbs, a player the Lions believe can be a dynamic playmaker in the NFL, was certainly a risk for Detroit.
Running backs have been significantly devalued over the last couple of decades. As a result, we often see elite running backs fall past the first round of the draft.
The Lions, however, are betting on Gibbs taking their offense to another level. And if he does, no one will care where he was selected in the draft.
Detroit Lions fans receive a scare
The Lions held a rookie minicamp this past week and Gibbs was forced to the sidelines after suffering a "slight" ankle injury (he practiced on Friday and was held out on Saturday).
Anytime a player starts their NFL career with an injury, it usually leads to concern from fans (and/or panic).
But when it comes to Gibbs, I don't think there's any reason for concern. At least not yet. It's the middle of May. There's no reason for the Lions to push Gibbs when the season doesn't start for nearly four months.
In fact, Detroit made it clear that the decision to hold Gibbs out was precautionary.
"I'm straight," said Gibbs when asked about the injury.
"He had a little tweak, but no big issue," added assistant general manager Ray Agnew. "He'll be fine. We're just being safe with it."
Agnew also noted that he loves what he's seen from Gibbs so far in limited action.
"I smile every time I watch him play," said Agnew on Saturday (via DetroitLions.com). "We saw him move around and saw him do some stuff (Friday). I mean, the kid is gifted. He's learning. In this system, he's got a lot to learn. We'll take time and let him get acclimated and see where he goes."
For now, there's no reason to be worried about Gibbs' ankle injury. If it lingers into training camp, then there will be cause for concern.
There's no expectation, by the way, that this will be an issue moving forward for Gibbs. He doesn't have a troubling injury history, so this can be chalked up as a non-issue for the time being.
