Overview
- ESPN’s positional poll of more than 70 NFL coaches, executives and scouts placed Jahmyr Gibbs second overall, with Bijan Robinson narrowly edging him in the composite vote.
- Poll voters praised Gibbs’ vision, receiving skills and breakaway speed, with at least one coordinator telling ESPN that there is "no one like him with the ball in his hands."
- The poll’s methodology averaged top-10 ballots from coaches, executives and scouts, and Gibbs’ lowest ranking of eighth compared with Robinson’s uniformly high marks helped decide the gap.
- Detroit traded David Montgomery to Houston earlier this offseason, which moves Gibbs from a timeshare into the Lions’ clear No. 1 back and creates an expected jump in carries for 2026.
- Gibbs’ 2025 breakout (1,839 yards from scrimmage, 1,223 rushing yards and 18 total TDs) underpins his rising stock while his expanded role sharpens both his leverage for a future extension and concerns about long-term durability.