Now and then, Scottie Montgomery is reminded that Jahmyr Gibbs is still just 22 years old: "When he has his helmet on, it's hard not to see him as an older player," the Lions running backs coach said Thursday. "But the moment he takes it off, you know that you're dealing with a young person." And young people have plenty of room to grow.
That's an exciting thought for the Lions, and for Gibbs, who rushed for nearly 1,000 yards as a rookie and finished third in the NFL in yards per carry (5.2). "The next step" for the former No. 12 pick, said Montgomery, is "consistency." The Lions are looking for greatness out of Gibbs from start to finish this year.
"We're past the point now where, you know, he's coming along, he understands this part (of the offense) or protection. No, he's there and he needs to understands (all) of it," Montgomery said.
Gibbs, indeed, needs to be much better in picking up pass-rushers for Jared Goff. He was graded No. 61 out of 63 qualified running backs in pass-blocking last season by Pro Football Focus. Gibbs can also aid Goff by being more dangerous as a receiver. Montgomery said that Gibbs "was ready last year to start doing more and more and more" in the passing game, but the Lions' depth of pass-catchers limited his opportunities.
As it was, Gibbs caught 52 passes on 71 targets -- both top-10 marks among running backs. But he could have had much more than 316 receiving yards with sharper routes and better hands. He dropped a few passes from Goff that could have gone for explosive plays. And almost all of the passes he did catch came at or near the line of scrimmage: Gibbs' average depth of target, per PFF, was literally zero yards.
"Now what we need him to do from a passing game standpoint is go to the next level," Montgomery said. "I do think there's a certain difference between being a really efficient check-down versus a great route-runner, a guy that can run all types of choice (routes). We know we've seen him do those things. But now can you go into the slot and a little bit more down the field, some intermediate stuff. Can we continue to grow him there, and that's what we're trying to do."
Gibbs ran 36 routes in the slot last season. Compare that to Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey, who ran 89 slot routes and racked up 564 receiving yards and led the NFL in yards from scrimmage. McCaffrey also finished third in MVP voting. Asked Thursday about Gibbs' MVP potential, Montgomery answered as you might expect: “Man, that’s hard when you start thinking about the people that won that."
"I haven’t thought about that. I have seen growth in a young player. I know that he’s super talented. I also know there are things he can get better at. ... In that process, if he blossoms into what you say, then it would great to be along for the ride," said Montgomery.
Gibbs did make the Pro Bowl last season, as an alternate for McCaffrey who was busy preparing for the Super Bowl. He and veteran David Montgomery comprised arguably the best running back tandem in the NFL, combining for 1,960 yards and 23 touchdowns. Montgomery, who eclipsed 200 carries for the fifth straight year, will remain the bellcow for the Lions, which underscores the need for Gibbs to continue to grow as a receiver. That's where he can take the biggest leap in year two of his career.
Just don't forget what Gibbs can do on the ground. He even reminded the Lions last season that he's not all flash and dash: "He does run for power," Scottie Montgomery said.
"He came in with a certain mentality of running," said Montgomery. "We thought it was going to be probably a little bit more of the make-you-miss, wiggle, get around people. But he's gotten to the point now where around the sideline, he's gonna go deliver on you, which is a very good strategy that he's using to mix it all in.
"He's very hard to get on the ground, and it's not all because of his speed. His legs continue to churn. We feel good about him running interior runs, exterior runs. So he still has a long way to go, but he's growing in the right direction."