Antonio Gibson: 2020 Dynasty Rookie Profile
Position: RB
School: Memphis
Class: Senior
Date of Birth: June 23, 1998
Height: 6-0 Weight: 228lbs
Athletic Testing
40-Time: 4.39
Speed Score: 122.8 (99th-percentile)
Burst Score: 118.5 (48th-percentile)
Bench Press: 16 (20th-percentile)
Bio
Antonio Gibson is one of the most interesting prospects in this year’s draft class. His football story began at Eagle’s Landing High School in Georgia where he starred in football, basketball, and as a track athlete. He achieved all-region honors in basketball and set the school record while finishing third in the 100-meter dash at a state track meet. On the football field, Gibson earned Region 4-AAAA Offensive Player of the Year after combining for 3,132 all-purpose yards and 30 touchdowns in his junior and senior seasons. Gibson spent his first two years of college playing wide receiver at East Central Community College in Mississippi where he received all-state honors in each of his two seasons. He caught 50 passes for 871 yards and 13 touchdowns before accepting an offer from Memphis.
See Where Antonio Gibson Lands In Our 2020 Dynasty Rookie Rankings
Gibson struggled to find the field as a wideout in his first season at Memphis, catching six receptions for 99 yards (16.5 YPR) and two touchdowns in 14 games. The Tigers continued to use Gibson primarily as a receiver early in 2019 before giving him backfield snaps in the second half of the season. He wound-up playing a role similar to what Tony Pollard was in the year prior, taking snaps in the slot and the backfield. As a four-down player, Gibson finished the year with 38 receptions for 735 yards (19.3 YPR) and eight touchdowns through the air, and added 33 carries, 369 yards (11.2 YPC), and four touchdowns on the ground.
On top of his offensive contributions, Gibson was a dynamic kick returner, taking 23 returns for 645 yards (28.0 average) and one touchdown. After the season, Gibson was named second-team All-American Athletic Conference as a wideout and AAC Co-Special Teams Player of the Year. According to PFF, Gibson broke 16 tackles on his 33 rushing attempts and broke another 17 tackles as a receiver after the catch. He broke a run of 15 yards or more on more than 18-percent of his carries. Of course, this is a small sample size but Gibson showed enough of his incredible combination of size, speed, burst, and power to draw the attention of the NFL. So-much-so that he received an invite to the Senior Bowl, where he ran 11 times for 68 yards.
Even though he worked out as a wide receiver at the NFL Combine, it is widely expected that Gibson will make the transition to primarily running back at the next level.
College Stats
Antonio Gibson College Stats Courtesy of sports-reference.com
Positives
+4.39 40-Time; 122.8 (99th-percentile) Speed Score
+11.2 YPC
+14 career touchdowns on just 77 touches
+Versatile
+23 kickoff returns, 645 yards, 28.0 average, one touchdown
+Seven total touchdowns of 40-plus yards
+Explosive power through contact
+Excellent receiver out of the backfield
+Extremely high ceiling
+Home Run threat
+Open-field vision
+Provides a chess piece for an offense
Antonio Gibson’s 2019 Stat Line
71 Rushes +Receptions
1104 Yards
12 TDs
🤯🤯🤯🤯
Only touched the ball 71 freaking times on offense and did that kinda damage!!! 6’0 228lbs, I want him on every single dynasty team. All of em 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/XFS86wajzQ— Ray G (@RayGQue) February 29, 2020
Negatives
-One-year wonder
-Sample size is extremely limited
-Just 34 career rush attempts
-17.4-percent (24th-percentile) Dominator
-Zero experience in pass protection
-Took the majority of his snaps at WR
-Unlikely to make early career impact from a fantasy perspective
-Instincts and vision out of the backfield are still a work in progress
Highlight Reel
Best Comparable Player (PlayerProfiler): Joe Mixon
NFL Draft Projection: Fourth Round
Bottom Line:
Gibson is still learning the running back position and may take time to develop his vision, patience, and feel for the position. The good news is, his impact in the return game and above average skills as a pass-catcher will help him find the field and carve out a role while he develops as a running back. He has the size and athleticism to be an elite dual-threat runner and his versatility makes him a (2016) David Johnson-like chess piece for an offense. Like Johnson, we will likely have to wait to see a return on investment, but if/when that development happens, Antonio Gibson will pay off big time for dynasty owners who were willing to practice patience with this raw stud.
Resources: DLF, PlayerProfiler, NFL.com, PFF
