Washington Football Team’s Gibson: We “could be a problem” for defenses

If the Washington Football Team’s Antonio Gibson is anything, he’s confident.

Antonio Gibson is still a rookie, having been drafted by the Washington Football Team with the No. 66 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He only touched the ball 71 times on offense at the FBS level with the Memphis Tigers, but Gibson thinks he can be one of several players to help Washington create imbalances for opposing defenses on game day.

Earlier today, after the Washington Football Team concluded its Sunday practice, Gibson was available for team media to interview him, and in that interview, his versatility naturally came up, along with the running-receiving versatility of fellow running back J.D. McKissic.

Gibson wasn’t shy with his answer. According to ESPN’s Washington beat reporter John Keim, Gibson said that he and McKissic “could be a problem” for NFL defenses.

It wouldn’t be the first time Gibson has been a problem for opposing defenses. His volume at the collegiate level does unearth some concern, but with his 71 touches, Gibson averaged over 15 yards per opportunity, and scored 12 touchdowns, good for a touchdown-percentage of almost 17 percent. His production as a receiver (38 catches for 735 yards and eight scores) is particularly eye-catching.

McKissic’s versatility also has strong roots. Despite being little more than a solid receiving back in his time as an NFL player, McKissic was once officially labeled as a wide receiver. In fact, in his redshirt freshman season with the Arkansas State Red Wolves, McKissic caught 103 passes for 1,022 yards and five touchdowns. He also caught more than 52 passes in each of his four collegiate seasons.

Gibson and McKissic, despite both being running backs with strong receiving backgrounds, have different kinds of versatility. Gibson’s versatility is more focused around his athletic makeup; standing at a thickly-built 6-foot-0, 228 pounds, he logged near-elite numbers at the NFL Combine, with a 4.38 40-yard dash and a 35-inch vertical jump.

McKissic, meanwhile, is only a marginal athlete. Despite measuring in around 5-foot-10, 190 pounds at the time of his pro day, McKissic only managed a 4.59 40-yard dash time. Now weighing in at 195, McKissic still doesn’t win with his afterburners, but his agility and toughness allow him to glean more out of plays than what they initially offer.

Both Gibson and McKissic are unproven in different respects; one is a mere rookie, while the other, now 27 years old, has yet to log more than 80 touches in a season. But both have a kind of versatility that Scott Turner has enjoyed experimenting with in the offseason, and both have a chip on their shoulder, to prove that they can’t be slept on any longer.

They’ll have to be for now, as they can’t fully prove themselves once the regular season arrives. But when it does, expect these two to be a part of the game plan. And perhaps a bigger part than previously expected.