How Marshall Faulk Impacted Lions Decision to Draft Jahmyr Gibbs

The Detroit Lions drew some criticism from their decision to draft running back Jahmyr Gibbs with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2023 draft.

General manager Brad Holmes had to endure plenty of naysayers criticizing his choice to draft the Alabama product with that selection in an era where the running back position is being devalued.

Ultimately, the decision has panned out well for the Lions and Gibbs. His explosiveness has been the perfect addition to the offense, as he rushed for over 1,400 yards last seasion along with contributing as a pass-catcher.

During a recent appearance on the Field Talk Podcast, Holmes shared that part of the conviction that he had regarding the pick came from a conversation he had with Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk.

The legendary running back was explaining that with salary cap constraints, having versatile running backs with more expansive skill sets would be important in the league moving forward.

When Holmes turned on the film of Gibbs, he saw exactly the type of player that Faulk had been describing.

“When I was a PR intern (with the Rams), that first training camp in Macomb, Illinois, I had the opportunity to interview Marshall Faulk for the website. I’ll never forget, Marshall said, ‘Where this game is going to, you don’t have the space,’ and I think he reiterated to financials with the cap," Holmes said. "You can’t have a short-yardage back and a third-down back and a scat back and a goal-line back.  You’ve got to be able to do it all, man. When I first started looking at Jahmyr Gibbs, that conversation I had with Marshall Faulk just started coming back to me. This guy’s a weapon and can just do it all man.” 

Holmes also noted that he had been implored to make scouting decisions based on his own viewpoint, rather than a consensus, throughout his time in that field. As a result, making a difficult decision like the one to draft Gibbs in an era where running backs were not valued as highly was one he was confident in.

"It's hard to go against the grain, because our brains are naturally wired to, we want to get along," Holmes explained. "We want to be with the tribe and go with the flow."