Antonio Gibson – University of Memphis – 6’0″ 228 lbs. – June 23, 1998 (21 years old)
- Combo RB/WR that also returns kicks and punts.
- Ridiculous top end speed and acceleration that is also coupled with a physical running style with the ball in his hands.
- Exciting play maker that can take any touch to the house.
- Can just run by DBs, don’t let him catch you flat footed.
- Good open field vision that he uses in each facet of the game.
- Finds lanes in the return game.
- Down field routes, has a feel for when a defender gets out of position and bursts passed.
- Nice lateral agility/cut backs that he uses to make defenders miss one on one or during a route.
- Hands are only okay. Too many bobbles and body catches.
- Catch radius is pretty ordinary.
- Struggles when contacted at the point of reception.
- Tends to float or run routes less aggressively if he’s not supposed to be involved in the play.
- Didn’t skip leg day. There are times that he looks even a little odd lined up at slot because of his body type.
- Physical runner that isn’t afraid to take on a tackle.
- Tough to bring down. Defenders better wrap up or he’s going to pull away.
- Balance to pull through a tackle or take a hit and stay up on his feet.
- Vision is better in the open field than behind the line.
- Times where he just puts his head down and doesn’t keep his eyes up for running lanes.
- Runs where the play is designed behind the line rather than looking for the best option.
- He will just run into the back of the O line and get swallowed up.
- Better runner working to the outside than on the interior.
This isn’t the SEC…
- Not overly polished at either position.
- Already mentioned some of his RB shortcomings earlier, as a receiver:
- Limited route tree.
- Worked primarily out of the slot and got a lot of free releases.
- Raw route runner. Rounded routes, telegraphs breaks.
- Times where he looks lost in the route.
- Doesn’t show the great coverage recognition to adjust his routes.
- Can get bumped off his route and struggle to get off the line by physical corners.
- Doesn’t create a lot of separation unless he just runs away from defender.
- Small sample size with only 1 successful season in his senior year.
- A player without a position and may be a bit hit and miss.
With the Redskins:
- Coach Ron Rivera said he believes Gibson has a “skill set similar to CMC”. If he means that he can be used in various areas of the game, sure. If he means that he could be the best RB in the league, much more doubtful.
- Gibson comes into a backfield without a clear #1, but with plenty of competition.
- Old man Adrian Peterson is still in town.
- Promising talent, but oft-injured Derrius Guice who likely should be the #1 if he’s healthy.
- 2019 4th round draft pick, Bryce Love, is still around after missing last season with his torn ACL he suffered while in college.
- They also signed Peyton Barber and still have J.D. McKissic on the roster as well.
- While Gibson may get opportunities out of the backfield, it feels like a situation where snaps and touches will be dispersed among a few guys and you’re going to be counting on a big play or touchdown from any of them.
- For the future, AP is a free agent after this season. McKissic and Barber have opt outs available after this year. Guice is under contract through 2021 before he becomes a free agent.
- Gibson has the opportunity to grow into at least somebody that can split time as a strong part of a committee, and hopefully AP will help him with the more refined areas of the position. I’m not sure that I see a feature back out of Gibson at any point. I actually believe he was more impressive in his rushing abilities than in his receiving.
- At receiver, the Redskins only have Terry McLaurin claiming a clear spot from last season. Kelvin Harmon and Cody Latimer are still on the roster. The Redskins also drafted Antonio Gandy-Golden in the 4th round.
- I’m not sure Gibson can create enough separation or if he has the route running to be an outside receiver, at least early on in his career. He could be a dangerous threat from the slot as a deep ball threat or on various plays to get the ball in his hands and let him create.
- Big play threat that I like better in best ball than standard redraft leagues. For dynasty purposes, he has massive upside, but it’s hard to determine where he will get his touches. Historically, it has been difficult for players without a defined position to make an impact game in and game out.
