Many Kansas City Chiefs fans were taken aback earlier this week when Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported that the Chiefs were interested in Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs in the first round.
Here’s what Breer had to say on the possibility:
"“Now, Andy Reid’s taken one running back in the first round in 24 drafts as a head coach and that one (Clyde Edwards-Helaire) hasn’t really worked out. Still, listening to other talk about Gibbs’s fit with Mahomes and Reid can be convincing. “I wouldn’t want to be in the AFC West,” said one NFC exec, “if Gibbs winds up in Kansas City.”"
The response from Chiefs fans was not good, to say the least. It would be a strange pick considering 7th-round rookie Isiah Pacheco just emerged as the team’s No. 1 running back this past season and put on a show in the team’s Super Bowl win. The need at running back just isn’t that big.
Furthermore, the value of taking a running back early in the draft isn’t great either. Again, Pacheco was a 7th-round pick. You can find contributors in the later rounds or even as UDFAs every year. There are plenty of guys with good athletic profiles who you can plug and play at the NFL level.
Jahmyr Gibbs wouldn’t be the worst first round pick for KC Chiefs
Let’s preface with this, taking a running back in round one would be disappointing. I wouldn’t love it. You would think this team would have learned from taking Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the first round a couple of years ago—a player who just hasn’t worked out. But let’s try to rationalize just a bit if Gibbs is the pick.
A lot of Chiefs fans were scarred by the Edwards-Helaire selection. It was a bad pick and bad positional value for sure, but the bigger issue was who the player was and turned out to be. If the pick was Jonathan Taylor instead of CEH, not nearly as many people are upset with it because you at least would’ve ended up with a top-five running back. In reality, the Chiefs just took one of the worst running backs they could have at that spot.
Edwards-Helaire didn’t have the athletic profile to succeed at the NFL level. Gibbs does. He’s got explosiveness and speed and a pretty strong frame to go with it. He hits the hole quickly and doesn’t need the best blocking in the world to turn carries into positive gains. Gibbs has a real chance to be a star running back at the next level.
But it’s not just Gibbs’ ability as a runner that would make this selection a little easier to stomach. Gibbs’ ability in the receiving game cannot be understated. He averaged 11.8 yards per reception for his college career and averaged a career-high 13.3 yards per reception in his second season at Georgia Tech, prior to transferring to Alabama.
Many times throughout Gibbs’ film, Alabama quarterback Bryce Young was going to him in the passing game to bail himself out and Gibbs made the most out of every single reception. His ability to turn upfield and make guys miss is spectacular. Gibbs is not a receiver, but he can split out wide and actually be serviceable so he wouldn’t be the answer to the Chiefs’ receiver needs but he certainly helps in that department.
Jahmyr Gibbs is a really fun player. His receiving ability is off the charts.
— Brenden Deeg (@BrendenDeeg_) March 27, 2023
He would be a great addition to the Eagles' offense. pic.twitter.com/3J1U639cnu
Selecting Gibbs in the first round wouldn’t be a popular pick and he probably wouldn’t be received well by the fanbase, but if the Chiefs have a first-round grade on him and nobody else when he’s available, then it’s very possible the Chiefs grab him. It would be unnecessary to trade up for him and that would be really bad value to trade up for a running back. You’d also get that 5th-year option which would give K.C. a cost-controlled running back for five years.
Ultimately, fans shouldn’t lose too much sleep over Gibbs if he ends up a Chief because he’s an electric player. You could do worse with a first-round pick.