The Redskins found a dynamic offensive weapon in the third round of the 2020 draft, earning them an A- grade for the pick.
It’s apparent that Washington Redskins fans are excited about the selection of Memphis RB/WR Antonio Gibson with the No. 66 pick, and that excitement likely grew once they got a chance to watch some of his college highlights.
So how does the rest of the league view the pick?
I’d say it was well accepted among the rest of the NFL. While many teams were busy diving into their big boards and doing their due diligence on certain players, the Redskins selection of Gibson caused social media to stir a bit as analysts lauded the pick and informed Washington fans that they got a real game-changer in the third round.
Over at USA TODAY’s For The Win!, they gave the pick an A- grade, saying that Gibson is the type of play you don’t necessarily want to restrict by placing a position distinction on his name.
“Maybe Gibson should be listed as an ‘offensive weapon’ instead of running back. He does it all. Will the Redskins be able to get the most out of him?” Steven Ruiz wrote.
It may not seem like much, but getting an A grade in the third round is nothing to write off. Being able to find that type of value with the No. 66 pick goes to show how well both Kyle Smith and Ron Rivera are working together, and the team will be the better for it in the future.
Here’s to hoping they can continue to rack up highly-graded picks into Saturday’s rounds as well.
Gibson may have the body of a typical running back, but his 40-yard-dash time shows that he’s as quick as any of the top receivers.
It’s starting to look like the Washington Redskins drafted not one, but two athletic freaks in the first two days of the 2020 NFL Draft.
While everyone knows what a monster DE Chase Young was, the Redskins turned some heads with their second pick in the draft, taking Memphis RB/WR Antonio Gibson with the No. 66 overall pick in the third round.
Gibson, who primarily plays RB but has the ability to line up outside and in the slot, is built like a stout back but has the quickness of a player that can leave you in the dust. According to Redskins.com’s Kyle Stackpole, some of his combine stats are absolutely jaw-dropping.
Newest #Redskin Antonio Gibson ran the fifth-fastest 40 time among WRs/RBs at the NFL Combine (4.39 seconds).
Those players' average weight is 191.2 pounds. Gibson is listed at 228 pounds. Unique blend of size/speed.
Don’t worry, go ahead and read that stat a second time. I don’t blame you, I had to do the same thing.
Whether it’s his impressive highlight reel or an insane 40-time stat, keep reading whatever it takes to convince you that the Redskins got an absolute game-changer on Friday night. Fall camp can’t get here soon enough.
Gibson is a dynamic offensive player who can be a difference-maker as both a runner and receiver in the Redskins scheme.
So your team drafted a running back/wide receiver hybrid player who is reportedly going to take over as the pass-catching player out of the backfield, and could also be a threat in special teams?
Oh, and you’ve never seen his highlight tape before?
Boy, are you in for a treat. Watch the film below, and tell me how badly you wanted the Redskins to draft a TE or CB instead of Antonio Gibson.
Gibson is a do-it-all offensive player who can be dynamic in both the running game and passing game for the Redskins.
The Washington Redskins bucked the public narrative in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, selecting a RB/WR hybrid in Memphis’ Antonio Gibson, rather than selecting some of the top cornerbacks or tight ends left on the board.
So who is this guy that the Redskins have entrusted with their third-round pick? Here are five interesting tidbits about him.
Bigger Than McCaffrey, but Similar Skill Set
Gibson stands at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, and he has a quick burst out of the backfield with a reliable set of hands. Now that he is playing in Washington under a coaching staff that introduced Christain McCaffrey to the NFL, there is reason to believe that he could be put in a similar position as the Carolina Panthers superstar. With offensive coordinator Scott Turner overseeing his development, we are sure to see Gibson spread out in a number of different packages on offense, and he will surely keep the defense guessing every down.
Good Offensive Player, Great Special Teams Threat
The Redskins drafted Gibson for his offensive talent, but they have every intention of plugging him into the special teams game going forward as well. Whether it’s alongside Steven Sims Jr. on kick return or back deep on punt returns, Washington knows that they have a dynamic return man on their hands who can help flip the field in important situations.
Don’t Pigeon-Hole Him
Don’t think that Gibson is just a running back. Throughout his time at Memphis, he lined up outside on the number a ton, and he has the type of hands that can make him a threat in the passing game. While his route-running may not be up to par with some of the top receivers in the game, he is the epitome of a positionless football player that can do some impressive things with the ball in his hands.
Grades Kept him From D1 Out of High School
“Grades were just … at the end of the day, you could also blame me to be honest, but as a young kid, I was getting bad grades and my coaches weren’t really saying anything to me because they wanted me to play,” Gibson told USA TODAY’s Draft Wire recently. “It wasn’t until my junior year I started getting offers but I couldn’t accept them, or they couldn’t officially offer them because of my grades. So, that’s when it started clicking to me that I need this [college], and that’s the reason I had to go to JUCO route.”
Gibson Average 11.2 Yards Per Carry in 2019
Yes, that’s right. Gibson averaged 11.2 yards per carry. Moreover, he proved to be absolutely ridiculous when it came to breaking tackles. He broke 16 tackles on his 33 carries and 17 tackles on his 38 receptions, according to Pro Football Focus. Small sample size, yes, but those numbers are just insane when a broken tackle rate of 25% is shooting par. And as crazy as the numbers are, Gibson’s 2019 game tape is even more preposterous.
The Redskins added another RB with their 3rd round pick, which may tell us that Bryce Love isn’t as close to returning as we hoped.
The Washington Redskins seemingly threw a bit of a curveball at us with the No. 66 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, taking RB Antonio Gibson from Memphis.
While there were some skilled left tackles, cornerbacks and tight ends left on the board, the Redskins chose to add another player to their already crowded backfield. With Adrian Peterson, Derrius Guice, Peyton Barber, J.D. McKissic, and Bryce Love already on the roster, this might raise a few eyebrows. However, we can take it as some major intel into the Bryce Love situation.
Love was drafted in the fourth round of the 2019 draft despite undergoing knee surgery just months earlier, and he sat out the entirety of his rookie season. Many have hope that he will be healthy enough to return to the field this summer and be ready to go by the time the 2020 season rolls around, but if Washington’s selection of Gibson is any indication, that may not be the case.
The addition of Gibson also helps alleviate the loss of Chris Thompson in free agency, though he wasn’t too productive in his final years with the Redskins. As a highly versatile player that can catch passes out of the backfield and line up in the slot, Redskins offensive coordinator Scott Turner will have a field day scheming to get Gibson in the offense and finding ways to let him work.
If you look at some of the young weapons on Washington’s offense, you’ll start to see why the Redskins took Gibson. Terry McLaurin, Steven Sims, Derrius Guice, Kelvin Harmon, and now Antonio Gibson. What a great day to be Dwayne Haskins.
In their latest mock draft, CBS Sports mocks the Pittsburgh Steelers grabbing a wide receiver and running back with their first two picks.
There are two key offensive positions that the Steelers need to address in the 2020 NFL Draft: Running back and wide receiver.
It’s been said that the Steelers will not be renewing RB James Conner’s contract at the end of the season, and the same could be said for WR JuJu Smith-Schuster.
In 2018, Shenault made himself a household name among college football fans. The do-it-all receiver logged 86 catches for 1,011 yards and six receiving touchdowns and led the entire FBS with 9.6 catches per game. He was the only player in the country to have five receiving and five rushing touchdowns. He was a big-play threat on the ground as well, carrying the ball for 17 times for 115 yards and five touchdowns.
But in 2019, Shenault was nagged by injuries and was unable to duplicate that success, averaging just 11 yards per reception.
According to this mock draft, WR Tee Higgins is still available to Pittsburgh at No. 49. I would rather see the Steelers go with Higgins as he appears to be the more reliable prospect. Higgins possesses the ability to play from all three WR positions and is a deep-ball threat.
In the third round, Pittsburgh selected elusive RB Antonio Gibson. Gibson is not a traditional RB, and defenses would have a hard time with him on the field. In 2019, he posted 38 catches for 735 yards and eight touchdowns and added 33 carries for 369 yards (11 yards per carry) with four more scores. With all-purpose talent, there’s no telling what Gibson will do with the ball in his hands, but it will all be good.
The vast majority of the Day 2 mock drafts have Arizona selecting an offensive lineman after they chose Isaiah Simmons in Round 1 it seems.
It makes a lot of sense to have a plan in place for 2021 to protect Kyler Murray on the right side now that the left side is locked up with DJ Humphries.
Niang, the most popular pick, makes a lot of sense after playing right tackle for the Horned Frogs. He’s athletic and falls because of his injury history, but may very well be worth the 72nd overall pick.
The outlier, of course, is Gibson, who would probably fill the backup running back role for Arizona as well as potentially becoming involved as a kick returner.
Day 2 will be a long wait for most Arizona fans, but they may be happy if they land someone who can help out Kyler Murray in the long run.
Day 2 NFL mock draft: Projecting 2nd, 3rd-rounds for the Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are set to begin night two of the 2020 NFL Draft and there are still several big named players still on the board.
The Eagles still have a need at wide receiver, in the secondary, and along with the interior of both lines.
Using a simulator from Pro Football Focus, the Eagles address the safety and running back position in round two and three.
In Winfield Jr., the Eagles would get a player who led the Minnesota Golden Gophers with 88 total tackles while helping them knock off Auburn in the Outback Bowl to finish 11-2 for the most wins in program history since 1904.
Check out Draft Wire’s exclusive interview with Memphis offensive weapon Antonio Gibson
Today’s NFL puts a premium on versatile playmakers who can line up all over the field and score every time they touch the ball.
If your favorite team is looking for that kind of weapon in the 2020 NFL Draft class, their search should begin and end with Memphis’ Antonio Gibson.
A big-play, touchdown machine, Gibson recently spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about making the transition from the JUCO level, his experience at the NFL Scouting Combine, and what kind of impact he’ll make at the next level.
JM: Before you were scoring touchdowns at Memphis, you were playing football at East Central Community College. Was the transition to Memphis a difficult one for you?
AG: Honestly, the most difficult part of the transition was learning Coach [Mike] Norvell’s playbook. It was way more complicated than anything I had ever seen before. It was certainly very different than what I was used to at East Central or even high school for that matter. Coach Norvell’s offense definitely took some getting used to. I had to do a lot of reading and studying to get it down pact. That was definitely the toughest part of the transition for me.
Getting used to the pace of the game at the Division I level was a bit of a challenge in the beginning. Of course, the athletes are a lot of faster and stronger in Division I.
JM: Things went pretty well for you once you became acclimated to your new surroundings. You scored 14 touchdowns on 77 touches. How is that even possible?
AG: I feel like I was always capable of that. I feel like if I would have gotten more touches, that statistic would look even more ridiculous (laughs). I made the best of my opportunities. I was trying to do something special every time I touched the ball. That’s where my mind was. I didn’t really get any touches in 2018. Going into this past season, I told myself that I would make the most of every and any opportunity I got in 2019. That’s exactly why I did.
Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
JM: You made 38 catches this past season, and you had 33 carries, as well. I’m curious to hear more on what feedback you’re getting from NFL teams. What position do they see you playing at the next level?
AG: Most teams see me playing running back at the next level. Some teams see me playing both positions. Running back has been the general consensus, though. I’ll probably start off in a running back role. That would be something a little new for me. I’m ready for the challenge, though. I’m excited about making that adjustment. I’m used to having to adapt to new situations. That’s what I’ve been hearing from the teams that I’ve spoken with.
JM: You returned some kicks at Memphis, as well. Is that something that you’d like to continue doing at the next level?
AG: For sure, I would love to. I feel like a lot of NFL teams are pretty secure at the kick returner position but I would love to return kicks. If they want me to start off as a gunner on special teams, I’m cool with that, as well. I’ll do whatever it takes to get on the field. I’m ready for the challenge.
JM: You’re such a unique playmaker. I’m curious, which NFL players you admired growing up?
AG: I admired guys like Reggie Bush, Julio Jones and Michael Vick growing up. Reggie Bush was one of my favorite players. As I started to get a little older, that’s when I started to watch some Julio Jones. Everybody wanted to be the prime-time player that Michael Vick was, especially here in Georgia. I don’t know any kids in Georgia that didn’t wanna grow up to be Michael Vick.
As I got older and started to become more comfortable with my play style, I started to watch guys like Cordarrelle Patterson, Ty Montgomery and David Johnson. Those guys can do it all. They weren’t pigeonholed into one position. They made an impact across several positions and so will I.
JM: I know that you mentioned a few current players there, but if you had to narrow it down, is there one current NFL player that you’d compare yourself to?
AG: I know that he was a rookie last season, but I would probably say Deebo Samuel. When you look at all the jet sweeps they ran for him, he lined up at receiver and I’m pretty sure he could play some running back if they wanted to line him up in the backfield (laughs). I see a lot of similarities in our games.
Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
JM: What was your experience like at the NFL Scouting Combine?
AG: It was a great experience. I’m very thankful for the opportunity. The route I took to get here, a combine invite was never a guarantee for me. You’re certainly not gonna hear any complaints from me. It was early mornings and late nights, but I was so thrilled just to be there. I took every moment in. I enjoyed the process. It was awesome.
JM: You had a fantastic combine performance, including a 4.39 in the 40-yard dash. What do you think is the impression that you left out there?
AG: I definitely showcased my speed. A lot of teams put a 4.65 on me. I heard that prediction for my 40-yard dash time. That was kind of shocking to me. I didn’t think that I looked like a 4.65 player on film. I ran away from defenders in the open field. I didn’t get caught from behind on tape. That 4.65, that was stuck in my head the entire time I was there. I had to show them otherwise. I feel like I made a great impression.
JM: Hold on, a team actually said that you look like a 4.65 player to them?
AG: I had heard that feedback from certain circles. Some teams asked me what I was gonna run in the 40. I told them, in my mind, I’m a low 4.4 player. I was thinking that I was gonna run around a 4.42. Worst case scenario, I knew I was gonna get in the low 4.4’s at least. Even when I told some scouts or coaches that I was gonna run in the low 4.4’s, they were like “Oh, really?” This was at the combine. They were shocked that I predicted something in the low 4.4’s. I don’t know why that is.
JM: What’s your favorite part about playing the running back or wide receiver position?
AG: I just love being able to impact the game from anywhere on the field. For me, having the ball in my hands is a lot of fun. I’m so elusive with the ball in my hands. I love making plays. Once I get going, the amount of adrenaline running through my body is crazy. I can’t stop myself.
Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
JM: Were you able to get any private visits or workouts in before COVID-19 shut everything down?
AG: Nope, I didn’t get that chance. Everything I had scheduled was supposed to go down after my pro day. My pro day ended up getting cancelled along with every visit.
JM: Have you met with many teams via FaceTime and Zoom?
AG: A lot of teams have asked me to keep that private at this time. I have to respect their wishes, of course. I will say this, I’ve spoken to a lot of teams. I’ve done something with nearly every team in the NFL.
JM: What was the strangest question you were asked at the combine?
AG: I didn’t really get anything overly strange. This one team asked me what’s the worst thing my mother would say about me (laughs). That was pretty funny. I didn’t even know how to answer at first. My mother would never say a bad word about me (laughs). I was like, my mother wouldn’t say anything bad about me, so I don’t really know how to answer this question. It took me a few seconds to even respond. I just sat there and eventually I was like, “Nothing.” That was pretty funny.
JM: We’ve touched on your time spent in the slot. When you were lined up at receiver, did you approach a smaller cornerback any differently than you did one that could match your size?
AG: I definitely did. If I’m matched up with a smaller corner, I’m definitely gonna put my body on you and try to use my size to my advantage. I’m gonna try to use any advantage I can to create separation. If you’re a bigger guy, I’m gonna make sure that you have to use your feet against me. It always comes down to knowing your opponent and how I can gain the upper hand.
JM: What kind of impact is Antonio Gibson going to make at the next level?
AG: I’m gonna continue to move things in the right direction. The game is changing. Coaches are starting to put their athletes in promising positions and I wanna be a part of that. I wanna add on to that trend. I wanna be known as one of the best athletes on the field at any given moment. I don’t have to be pigeonholed into one position. I just wanna make plays for my team. Whether you put me at running back, wide receiver or on special teams, I’m gonna make an impact wherever I’m needed.
There are many great players in the 2020 draft class, but nobody is more explosive than Memphis RB/WR Antonio Gibson. Here’s why.
The most astute NFL talent evaluators will tell you that when it comes to players, it’s more important to focus on what people can do as opposed to what they can’t. I’ve heard it from both Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll, and also from Seahawks general manager John Schneider, Carroll’s consigliere. It’s easy to discount a receiver because he only ran three routes in college, or a running back because he runs too upright and might not be fully developed.
But those truly interested in player development will understand that sometimes, that receiver who can run a third of the route tree is beating the daylights out of every cornerback he faces, or that running back is bouncing off linebackers every play for extra yards.
With players on the fringe of what they will be, you can either cut them off because they don’t fit your suit, or you can adjust the suit for their unique talents. The guys who do the latter tend to win Super Bowls. The guys who do the former tend to get fired.
(Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports)
In the 2020 draft class, Memphis running back/receiver Antonio Gibson (yes, you read that positional delineation right) may be the ultimate litmus test for those executives who see prospects one way or another. Gibson got on the field for just 370 snaps in two years with the Tigers after two seasons at East Central Community College in Mississippi.
“Grades were just… at the end of the day, you could also blame me to be honest, but as a young kid, I was getting bad grades and my coaches weren’t really saying anything to me because they wanted me to play,” Gibson told me recently. “It wasn’t until my junior year I started getting offers but I couldn’t accept them, or they couldn’t officially offer them because of my grades. So, that’s when it started clicking to me that I need this [college] and that’s the reason I had to go to JUCO route.”
Once he was done with that route, he had a few choices in West Virginia, Mississippi State, and Memphis.
“I picked Memphis because a lot of schools offer you then go on about their business,” he said. “They won’t really reach out to you to tell you a signing date, but coach [Mike] Norvell and the staff were on me every other day. They were checking in making sure I was alright, seeing if classes were going good, checking on my family, I got a family feeling from them, and when I went on my visit it was the same thing, so I ended up picking Memphis.”
It took a while for Gibson to gain traction, though — in 2018, he was behind Darrell Henderson and Tony Pollard in the Tigers’ backfield, and caught just six passes for 99 yards and two touchdowns. Once Henderson went to the Rams and Pollard to the Cowboys in the 2019 draft, Gibson got his shot, and he didn’t waste it. He posted 38 catches for 735 yards and eight touchdowns, adding 33 carries for 369 yards and four more scores.
Yes, that’s right. Gibson averaged 11.2 yards per carry. Moreover, he proved to be absolutely ridiculous when it came to breaking tackles. Per Pro Football Focus, he broke 16 tackles on his 33 catches, and 17 tackles on his 38 carries. Small sample size, yes, but those numbers are just insane when a broken tackle rate of 25% is shooting par. And as crazy as the numbers are, Gibson’s 2019 game tape is even more preposterous. That was my focus when I talked with him recently about that tape, and what it says about his NFL potential.
“It’s just the excitement of it,” he told me regarding his mentality when eluding defenders by any means necessary. “I love the game, and when the offense has the ball, you can make things happen. You can bring momentum to the team. That’s what I strive for. Being able to lead by example. Bring that factor in the game, where if you do something like that, you get the sideline hyped, and you get a chain reaction from that. I fell in love with it, and it’s always been that way for me.”
I told Gibson about those PFF numbers, and asked him how he’s able to make above-average college defenders look like Pony League kids as they’re bouncing off his frame.
“My body size,” the 6-foot-0, 228-pound Gibson said. “Most people my size don’t move as fast — and I’m not saying everybody — because I’m seeing plenty move faster or fast. It’s just the size and what I’m able to do. I feel like you could line me up with skinny receivers and I would be able to make the same moves or run just as fast as them. I feel like people don’t know how to adjust sometimes to seeing that speed and a big body, you know, to make cuts like that. So when they try to come to my legs, or they come to me with the arm tackle… if you come to me with some little boy stuff you know I’m looking to break it.”
A few more questions before we got to the tape.
Doug Farrar: The running back/receiver thing is so interesting because the pro comparison I made for you was if you took DK Metcalf and also made him a running back — which doesn’t generally happen. Do you have a preference? How do you balance the two different positions?
Antonio Gibson: I don’t have a preference, but I’ve been getting that question a lot. I feel more comfortable at receiver just because that’s where I’ve been. But I feel more natural at running Once I get in the flow of things, I could be great back there, too. Running back is my preference at that next level because they could move me out [wide], and that’s where the league is going nowadays, moving guys around all over the place.
DF: What were your route concepts in college, and what are you coming into the NFL with in that sense?
AG: We were running digs, posts, comebacks, curls, option routes. We had a lot, but I feel like there’s more routes in the league that I hadn’t experienced. That’ll be some getting used to. I’ve been working with a trainer, and he was doing some awesome things [with different routes], I have an idea of some of the routes [he’d run in the NFL], but there are some other things I’ve got to get accustomed to.
And with that, it was time to review five of Gibson’s plays from last season. If you haven’t seen this guy yet, buckle up.
