Jahmyr Gibbs' behind the scenes work draws praise from Lions running backs coach Scottie Montgomery

The Detrot Lions clearly loved Jahmyr Gibbs heading into April's draft, so much so there have been indications they would have taken him No. 6 overall if they had stayed there. All hyberbole or draft capital usage constipation about taking a running back at No. 12 overall aside, Gibbs is a dynamic talent and he has done nothing but show it thus far. He literally did not miss a day of practice all training camp.

In what will be his only preseason action, in the first game against the Giants, Gibbs worked as the Lions' No. 1 back and had 37 total yards on seven touches (six carries and one catch). A better exibition of his talent came during Tuesday's padded scrimmage, on a long touchdown run.

It's not often we hear from a running backs coach, but Lions running backs coach Scottie Montgomery took a turn with the media on Wednesday. He had plenty to say, about his experience on the Lions coaching staff thus far and his position room.

Scottie Montgomery praises Jahmyr Gibbs' work off the field

The gap between being very talented and becoming/being great is often filled with things few people see. In regard to Gibbs, via Justin Rogers of The Detroit News, Montgomery spoke about that.

"We’ve kind of opened it up," "We said that we were going to slowly get it to him in the beginning and then we just kind of threw it all at him. He really works at it. If you look at his notebook, if you look at his note-taking and the questions that I get over text message, or coming in a little bit earlier, trying to get a jump on the rest of the guys.""

Montgomery also took time to praise David Montgomery for his role as a veteran mentor to Gibbs, to fill a growth gap that just can't be filled by a coach.

"His leadership capability is going to help Jah (Gibbs) turn into a leader quickly. I think that he is also the guy that was able break Jah’s initial shell to be able to talk and communicate, or give him the ability to talk around the guys a little more.""

Coming out of Nick Saban's program at Alabama, even for just the one year he was there, was surely partially an education in NFL preparation for Gibbs. He's carrying that work right into his rookie season, as he eyes fulfilling the lofty immediate expectations that are around him.