The Green Bay Packers must use the 2020 NFL Draft to provide the finishing touches on a team that won 13 regular-season games and got within one game of the Super Bowl during Matt LaFleur’s first season as head coach.
Between now and the draft, Packers Wire will periodically break down one top prospect fitting the Packers’ roster needs.
Up next is Memphis offensive weapon Antonio Gibson:
What he can do
– Homerun hitter with an incredible success rate. Scored 14 touchdowns from scrimmage on just 77 touches, also returned a kickoff for a score
– Super elusive. Has burst, balance and strength. So creative with the ball in his hands. Broke 33 tackles on only 71 touches in 2019, per PFF
– Breaks more than one tackle on so many of his touches
– Positionless. Limited experience running routes or operating as a true running back. Teams have to manufacture ways to get him the ball. Gadget player all the way
– Averaged 19.3 yards per touch as a senior. Six of 33 carries gained 15 or more yards. Big play waiting to happen as a runner and receiver
– Speed is off the charts. Even at 228 pounds, he ran 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash, with a 1.51-second 10-yard split. Has acceleration and ability to carry top speed over distance
– Against SMU, scored a touchdown as a runner, receiver and returner. Insane performance
– Averaged 28.0 yards per kickoff return in 2019. Will bring immediate return value to the next level
– Will need a lot of work as a route-runner. Early transition might be easier as a running back
How he fits
Gibson is a true gadget player on offense with incredible elusiveness and big-play potential in the right scheme. He needs to land with a creative playcaller who can maximize his value early on while he develops more polish as a runner and receiver. Matt LaFleur could be that playcaller. The Packers offense needs more field-tilters, and there’s little doubt that Gibson can change a game with one touch. It’s possible he’ll never be a true slot receiver or capable of handling a traditional running back role, but his versatility and home-run hitting ability are impossible to ignore. Just get him the ball in creative ways and he’ll do the rest. Gibson could easily flame out in the wrong situation, but the Packers might have the right situation for him to thrive.
NFL comp
Dexter McCluster in David Johnson’s body? Gibson is a truly unique player. He could be as good a multidimensional weapon as Percy Harvin. He could be a limited big-play threat like Cordarrelle Patterson. He could be Ty Montgomery. His projection is wide and wild.
Where Packers could get him
The guess here is that at least one team with a clever scheme is going to fall in love with his incredible versatility and ability to break tackles and create big plays. It’s certainly possible Gibson will be a top-75 player, even in a deep receiver class. The Packers need playmakers and could feasibly consider him on Day 2 or early on Day 3.
Previous Prospects for the Pack
WR Tee Higgins
LB Kenneth Murray
LB Patrick Queen
WR Jalen Reagor
WR Justin Jefferson
TE Harrison Bryant
WR Denzel Mims
WR Brandon Aiyuk
WR/TE Chase Claypool
LB Zack Baun
LB Akeem Davis-Gaither
OT Josh Jones
OT Austin Jackson
S Antoine Winfield Jr.
DL Raekwon Davis
DB Xavier McKinney
WR Donovan Peoples-Jones
DL A.J. Epenesa
TE Hunter Bryant
RB Jonathan Taylor
RB Zack Moss
WR Michael Pittman
WR K.J. Hamler
WR John Hightower
LB Jordyn Brooks
LB Troy Dye
LB Willie Gay Jr.
OT Jack Driscoll
WR Devin Duvernay
OT Ezra Cleveland
WR Van Jefferson
OT Andrew Thomas
S Grant Delpit
TE Cole Kmet
OT Tristan Wirfs
QB Jordan Love
RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire
DB Jeremy Chinn