Evaluating the Redskins draft picks: RB/WR Antonio Gibson

What Gibson needs to improve

The main thing that Gibson lacks coming into the NFL is experience. While his 14 touchdowns on 77 career touches are impressive, the fact that he has only 77 touches is surprising. He’s a one-year wonder and while part of that may have been due to other talented players standing in his way at Memphis, it’s fair to ask why he wasn’t involved in the offense as a junior after transferring from East Central Community College.

That said, Gibson was productive at East Central CC and logged 50 receptions, 871 receiving yards, 13 receiving touchdowns, 249 rushing yards, and 20.5 yards per kick return during his two seasons there. Though it was at another level, it’s still worth noting that he did have more than just one season worth of college production.

But the big question overall is about how Gibson can handle a workload as a runner. He only had 33 carries at the Division I level. He has the size and frame needed to handle more as a pro. But still, it’s a big-time question that he’ll have to answer at the next level.

Washington Commanders

Additionally, Gibson is going to have to learn to operate as more of a true between-the-tackles runner. He often ran stretch plays to the outside at Memphis, but he’ll need to have some North-South ability at the NFL level to avoid being one-dimensional. And on those runs, he’ll need to have discipline and learn to grind out tougher yards. He showed the ability to do that on stretch runs, but running against bigger guys in the box and with less space to work with will be key for him.

As a receiver, Gibson needs to improve as a route runner. And that’s probably why he’s a better primary fit at running back in the NFL.

Gibson does some things well and is able to use his feet properly on occasion, but for the most part, he needs to be more consistent in selling his routes. He could stand to adjust his speed a bit more. He tends to go top-gear on his vertical routes but is more methodical on shorter routes. Perhaps that was a function of the offense he was in, but mixing speeds may help him to improve in that area.

These issues may limit Gibson’s upside as a rookie, but with proper coaching and the right opportunities, he certainly has a place with the Redskins offense.