NFL Draft 2023: 5 worst picks of the first round

Detroit reaches very far for another running back, Jahmyr Gibbs (No. 12)

Seeing Robinson go in the Top 10 was certainly a shock to the system for NFL fans who aren’t used to seeing running backs go that high anymore. That pick clearly bothered the Detroit Lions, who made sure to grab the draft’s second running back with the 12th overall pick by taking Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs.

There had been some buzz building around Gibbs, who has a unique skill set that will make him a good playmaker in an NFL offense. The problem here is that Detroit spent the 12th overall pick on a player most experts had projected as a late first-round pick at best, significantly wasting an asset when there were clearer needs for the Lions to fill.

The move would make more sense if Detroit, which is a favorite in the NFC North this season, had a hole to fill at running back. Gibbs is now the third back in a crowded running back room alongside D’Andre Swift, who the coaching staff hasn’t utilized enough already, and free agent pickup David Montgomery.

If the Lions felt that Gibbs was a can’t-miss prospect, they could have traded back even further and recouped more draft capital like they did to drop from 6 to 12 in the first place. Simply taking Gibbs later and drafting an impact defender would have made much more sense.