Antonio Gibson | RB/WR | Memphis
Elevator Pitch
Gibson is a dynamic and versatile offensive weapon who offers an intriguing combination of size, speed and vision in the open field. He’s a determined runner with great straight-line athleticism, the lateral quickness to make defenders miss, and plenty of upside as a kick returner. He probably won’t be more than a gadget player in the pros, but what an effective gadget player he can be.
Vitals
Height | 6-0
Weight | 228
Strengths
Gibson is a player who can make an impact from several positions.
Used primarily as a slot receiver at Memphis, Gibson can line up as a wideout if necessary. He has great speed off the snap and has dynamic long speed, making him a worthy vertical threat if utilized in that role. Once he gets the ball in his hands, he’s quick to accelerate, and he also has the vision to discover opportunities in which he can extend the play and break free for a big gain. He has solid burst coming out of his breaks, and his overall fluidity and body control when running routes across the middle of the field is pretty solid. His 2019 production, while sparse in quantity, was promising, as he had 735 yards and 8 touchdowns on just 38 catches.
Despite technically being a receiver in college, many believe Gibson is better suited as a running back in the pros. He tallied 369 yards and 4 touchdowns on just 36 carries, racking up an insane 11.2 yards per carry on the ground. Plenty of his traits indicate he can move over to running back, as he’s an electric athlete who also has a strong and powerful frame. His contact balance is impressive: he’s a determined runner who runs with a low center of gravity. Gibson was also an effective kick returner in 2019, as he had 645 yards and a touchdown on 23 returns. He also has experience covering kicks and offers high upside as a special teams gunner. He projects very well as a Cordarrelle Patterson-like piece for an offense at the next level.
Weaknesses
While there’s plenty to like about Gibson, there is some room for concern. As a receiver, his hip-sinking ability and his stems could be improved, and his route tree was fairly limited at Memphis, so he’s still quite raw when running routes. As a running back, he could do a better job of demonstrating patience in the backfield and running with more discipline. For as much physical upside and versatility he offers, there’s some polishing to be done in his game.
Regardless of how one projects Gibson in the NFL, one thing that’s undisputed is relative lack of production in college. He was an all-state player at East Central Community College before playing at Memphis the past two seasons, but his numbers at the FBS level lack substance. He only had 33 career rushing attempts, which is a very small sample size for any player, let alone an NFL prospect. Basically all of his collegiate production came in 2019, as he only had six catches for 99 yards – and no runs – in 2018. Granted, he scored on two of those catches, but the fact still remains that he’s still a raw and fairly unproven talent.
Projection: Day 3
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