Jahmyr Gibbs signs rookie deal with Detroit Lions

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs has signed his rookie contract, according to a report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Gibbs, who is expected to play a big role on Detroit as a rookie this season, was the No. 12 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Alabama.

He was the first of eight picks for the Lions in the draft. Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell was the team’s other first round pick. His Alabama teammate Brian Branch was selected by the team in the second round.

The Crimson Tide had three of the first 12 draft picks in the draft as Bryce Young went first overall to the Carolina Panthers and Will Anderson went third overall to the Houston Texans.

Lions general manager Brad Holmes is excited to see Gibbs in action, and compared him to two All-Pro running backs on a recent episode of the The Season with Peter Schrager podcast.

“When I first got with the Rams in 2003, Marshall Faulk was still there, and I was a huge Marshall Faulk guy — just kind of seeing what he does in both phases ,” Holmes said. “And just from a scouting standpoint, when Christian McCaffrey came out, he was the last guy that I was like, ‘Holy cow, this guy can run routes like a slot receiver but also run it.’ So, you start getting reminders of those players.”

Holmes isn’t the only one predicting a fantastic freshman season for Gibbs.

ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky was on the Pat McAfee Show and said he expects Gibbs to take on a similar role to San Fransisco 49ers superstar Deebo Samuel.

“I think Detroit’s offensive line is going to be a top three unit. Jahmyr Gibbs, I honestly believe is going to be north of 1,500 yards from scrimmage, pushing 2,000 yards,” Orlovsky said. “I think he’s just going to be used in such a… I think he’s going to be a Deebo Samuel type of player. That’s the way that they’ll use him, and that makes it so — he’s going to catch four screens a game for 50+ yards.”

Gibbs had 151 rushing attempts for 926 rushing yards with seven touchdowns. He also snagged 44 catches for 444 yards and three more scores.

During his first two college seasons with Georgia Tech, Gibbs averaged 5.2 yards per rush and 13.0 yards per catch. He also averaged 25.6 yards per kickoff return.