Hiccup or home run? Lions trying their best to swallow the Jahmyr Gibbs pick

Did the Lions reach too high for running back Jahmyr Gibbs on Day 1 of the draft? The whole world seems to think so.

The talk of this year’s draft is twofold: one, the Philadelphia Eagles should not be allowed to make deals ever again. They are just too good at it. And two, the Detroit Lions may be biting their tongue after taking running back Jahmyr Gibbs with the 12th overall pick.

The former Alabama ball-carrier has talent and upside for sure, but to take him in the first round at 12th overall? When the Lions at one point held the sixth pick and could have just taken Bijan Robinson? What was Detroit thinking?

General manager Brad Holmes gave reporters a snippet of the franchise’s thought process when selecting Gibbs on Thursday night, claiming that he has receipts proving that the team made the right choice.

Per Holmes, teams texted him after the Gibbs pick saying they were planning to select Gibbs themselves or were going to trade up to get him, suggesting that Detroit were smart to take him when they did.

Lions trying too hard to justify taking Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12 overall in NFL Draft

Still, the team’s first pick of the 2023 NFL Draft confused the majority of pundits and analysts, and rightfully so.

In the running back room, Detroit already have D’Andre Swift and David Montgomery under contract, the latter of whom signed a pricey 3-year, $18 million deal earlier this offseason. To then turn around and use the 12th overall pick on the running back position again feels like an egregious waste of resources.

Of course, time will tell if these picks will pan out, but it’s not looking good from the start. Even Gibbs himself could not believe the Lions took him that early.

The Lions made savvy choices in drafts prior, taking studs like Aidan Hutchinson, Jameson Williams, and others, so it may be too soon to strike down Holmes and the rest of the Detroit brass.

The Lions’ running back room will be a different beast in 2023. What can be said for the rest of the roster?