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Evaluating the Redskins draft picks: RB/WR Antonio Gibson

By Jacob Camenker

MOBILE, AL - JANUARY 25: Runningback Antonio Gibson #24 from Memphis of the South Team during the 2020 Resse's Senior Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium on January 25, 2020 in Mobile, Alabama. The North Team defeated the South Team 34 to 17. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)
MOBILE, AL - JANUARY 25: Runningback Antonio Gibson #24 from Memphis of the South Team during the 2020 Resse's Senior Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium on January 25, 2020 in Mobile, Alabama. The North Team defeated the South Team 34 to 17. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) /
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MEMPHIS, TN – DECEMBER 7: Antonio Gibson #14 of the Memphis Tigers runs after the catch against Perry Young #6 of the Cincinnati Bearcats during the American Athletic Conference Championship game on December 7, 2019 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis defeated Cincinnati 29-24. (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images)
MEMPHIS, TN – DECEMBER 7: Antonio Gibson #14 of the Memphis Tigers runs after the catch against Perry Young #6 of the Cincinnati Bearcats during the American Athletic Conference Championship game on December 7, 2019 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis defeated Cincinnati 29-24. (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images) /

What Antonio Gibson does well

When watching Gibson play, it’s clear that he’s an explosive playmaker whenever he has the ball in his hands. During his time at Memphis, he only touched the ball a combined 77 times on offense, yet he totaled 14 touchdowns.

That’s a touchdown percentage of 18.2 percent, which is a mind-boggling number. Even more impressively, four of these touchdowns came on 33 career carries, and he made taking one to the house look easy.

When played at the running back position, Gibson was at his best. He has good vision and excellent cutting ability that’s needed to hit holes and accelerate to the next level. He has great top speed (4.39 40 at the combine) and is tough to bring down with the ball in his hands.

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Gibson has very good balance and is thickly built at 6-0, 228 pounds, so he is able to break tackles with relative ease. That’s part of why he was able to break some of his long carries for the Tigers. He has a multitude of ways to elude tacklers with his speed and strength.

As a receiver, Gibson is good on screen plays and is adept at finding space against zone and soft coverage. He can serve as a deep threat and averaged 19.3 yards per catch during his final collegiate season. When running routes, he’s at his best as a deep threat and also demonstrates the ability to win with some nifty double-moves.

Playing running back and receiver isn’t all that Gibson does. He’s also a kick returner. He was the AAC’s Co-Special Teams Player of the Year after averaging 28 yards per kick return and logging a return touchdown as well. He has great burst and is decisive after catching the ball, so he should be able to maximize these opportunities at the NFL level.

All told, Gibson’s versatility is off the charts. Clever coordinators will find a way to use his unique combination of skills to create and attack mismatches on defense. He can play running back, the slot, or play out wide. Frankly, there’s little he can’t do in terms of skill position play.

While Gibson has a lot to like and the upside is through the roof, there are still areas that he will need to address to get better at the next level.

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