During the 2023 pre-draft process, an easy comp for Jahmyr Gibbs was New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara. As a rookie Gibbs' 52 receptions and 71 targets were fine, but he didn't do a lot with them (6.1 yards per catch, one touchdown). And as his numbers of rushing attempts increased down the stretch of the regular season, his passing game usage became inconsistent (three or fewer targets in four of the last six games).
Gibbs had 11 catches on 14 targets in the the Lions' three playoff games last year, which was a good sign for that part of his role looking toward this season. During OTAs, running backs coach Scottie Montgomery said he expects to see the next level from Gibbs as a pass catcher this year.
Expanding what Gibbs does in the passing game has to start at a foundational level. According to Pro Football Focus, he only had 48 snaps lined up in the slot as a rookie. That also means he needs to refine his game as a route runner, and look more like a wide receiver when he's not lined up in the backfield. Then he can become the "special weapon" Lions general manager Brad Holmes has envisioned.
Jahmyr Gibbs doing work to become a complete multi-faceted weapon in Lions' offense
Gibbs dealt with a soft tissue injury during OTAs. He's being eased into action as training camp gets going, but during Thursday's practice he worked with the wide receivers during position drills. After practice, he was seen with Amon-Ra St. Brown doing some more route running work.
Speaking to reporters after Thursday's practice, via Nolan Bianchi of the Detroit News, Gibbs showed appreciation for St. Brown.
"I appreciate him (St. Brown) a lot. He's always a guy that's willing to help his team. He wants to win, we all want to win, and overall, he's just a great person. So whatever I need, I know he'll be up for it. … I was trying to get down some of those releases. Tomorrow, we're probably going to do different route techniques and teach me them."
Gibbs also, however it may be obvious, noted how running routes out of the slot is different than running routes out of the backfield and how much bigger the route tree is.
"Being patient, tempo-wise — because running backs, all of our routes, most of them are full speed because we're so far behind the line. Receivers are already up there, so they can take their time more. "It's way different. There are certain routes that running backs can run out of the backfield. We've probably got five, six total. Receivers got like 12, 14. So very big difference."
The sky is the limit for Gibbs this year, after he fell just short of 1,000 yards on the ground last year and had fairly limited overall usage in the passing game. The plan to expand his role this year starts with the work he's doing now, as he looks to cement his place among the elite running backs in the NFL for years to come.