Gibbs, LaPorta and the number 6 pick

NFL Detroit Lions
1

As we all know, Brad Holmes traded down from 6 to 12, passing on Jalen Carter, and wound up with Gibbs and LaPorta out of the deal.

Gibbs has 1,088 yards from scrimmage, has 5.7 ypc, is our number three receiver in terms of receptions (47), has 8 TDs and 12 20+ yard plays. He’s already one of the top 10 RBs in the league, and we know he can produce more because he was hardly used in the early weeks of the season.

LaPorta is the no 2 receiver with 758 yards on 71 receptions, has 9 TDs and 7 20+ yard plays. His rookie year is on a HoF trajectory.

By the end of the season they’ll account for 2,000+ scrimmage yards, 140+ receptions, 20 or so TDs and 20+ big plays of 20+ yards, and we have three more cheap years of both of them to come.

There’s always been a lot of talk about what difference Carter could have made to our defense, and sure the D-line could have done with someone like him in there, but where the fudge would the offense be without Gibbs and LaPorta??

There was also a lot of talk about the positional value of taking Gibbs at 12 and whether he was an upgrade on Swift, but he already seems to be proving that, a) he’s the best RB in his class, b) he’s better than Swift as a runner and more reliable in the pass game, c) he fits this team and this offense like a glove, and d) he really is a premium RB that can do things that JAG RBs can’t.

I think it’s time to put any chat about Carter, positional value and Swift to bed. If they stay healthy these two guys could put up 10,000 scrimmage yards combined over their rookie deals, they’re going to be the cornerstone of our offense (hopefully with an extended St Brown) for the next three years and their presence will make things much easier for whoever the next OC is.

Brad Holmes absolutely nailed what he did with that number 6 pick. There aren’t many teams with a premium TE, and there aren’t many teams with a premium RB, but we’ve got both, locked down on cheap deals, out of that one pick.

16 Likes
2

Usually there’s a rookie running back drafted in the laters rounds people can point to and say you don’t need to draft one high but Bijan and Jahmyr are lapping the field

2 Likes
3

Would you trade Gibbs for any other RB?

Would you trade LaPorta for any other TE?

a different world i rest my case GIF

6 Likes
4

Carter was never going to be the pick. If they didnt trade down gibbs would have been pick #6. Laporta was just the bonus gift with purchase.

5 Likes
5

it was a great draft for holmes and the lions. however. If they spend next years first on a skill position player I’d be upset. but then again who knows the way the draft falls, we get lower and lower every week.

6

This is going to sound like a knock on Sam LaPorta, but it’s not, because I love Sam LaPorta…
The Lions TEs scored 9 TDs after trading Hockenson last year.

This is going to sound like a knock on Jahmyr Gibbs, but it’s not, because I love Jahmyr Gibbs…
Jamaal Williams ran for 1000 yards and scored 17 TDs last year.

I love both of Sam and Gibbs now, but I’m not going to pretend like this offense would be garbage without them. Someone would’ve stepped up and filled the hole. (Probably)

2 Likes
7

Back to trenches next year I think on both sides of the ball

4 Likes
8

I have 3 few thoughts on this:

  1. I still think you can make a case that Carter was the smarter pick. Arguably the top talent in the draft, a game-changing DT with that size/quickness combo is a rare human being. And you can expect a guy like that to be a difference-maker throughout his rookie contract and for 10+ years if you’re willing to pay him. Even the best and most durable RBs would have a tough time promising that.

  2. It would be really interesting if the Lions had gone that direction, because IMO, we’d still be a playoff contender but playing a totally different kind of ball. For the first time in my life as a Lions fan, I actually trust our coaches to play to the strengths of the team instead of being married to a system. We would have one of the fiercest DLs in the league and still a great run game thanks to our OL, through probably a lot less explosive through the air. But I believe we’d still be playing winning football.

  3. It’s all moot because Carter wasn’t going to be a Lion. No matter how elite his traits, he’s not the a DC/BH type of guy. The guys we got look pretty great, and as a personal preference, I like watching this insanely fast and explosive offense over a more defense-minded Lions team in an alternate universe.

2 Likes
9

Alim and Jalen also play the same position. And Alim was playing at a pro bowl level before gettin hurt

Plus Alim doesn’t flee the scene of accidents. :wink:

4 Likes
10

Nope especially when taking salary into account. Those two are the best bang for buck in the league at their positions.

4 Likes
11

No.

But one consideration would’ve been using the pick on a Devane Achane or Keaton Mitchell later in the draft. Both have had injury issues, but highly productive in limited snaps:

12

Amore interesting hypothetical than Jalen Carter: how different would this team look had Devon Witherspoon fallen to No. 6 overall?

5 Likes
13

Tempting for sure. And pray Gibbs falls to 18

Coulda woulda shoulda though.

14

In those 10 games after trading Hockenson the Lions TEs had 33 receptions for 287 yards and those 9 TDs. There were only three games where the TEs combined for 35+ yards. The TDs are nice but TE was not a feature of our offense like it is now.

Jamaal had 12 receptions for 73 yards, 4.1 ypc, only 4 of his TDs were longer than 2 yards and has been dogshit this year.

If you want to argue about Williams and Swift v Montgomery and Gibbs, the numbers for the latter pair are miles better:

Rush Yds YPC TD TD 2+ yds Rec Rec TD Games
JW & DS '22 1608 4.5 22 8 60 3 31
DM & JH '23 1647 5.2 17 10 61 1 23
2 Likes
15

But, don’t you see the Brad is an idiot posts everyday?

16

Mitchell? Wright? Reynolds? Knight?

I understand what you’re saying, but at the same time I can’t help but appreciate how much raw talent these two have and what they’ve been able to do. Special talent is special talent. You covet it for a reason.

17

I can’t say the last time I’ve seen one, to be honest.

18

I saw one this morning (wee hours).

19

Oh for sure, they are most definitely talented. But I’m not going to pretend like this offense would be lost without them. They benefit from being in Ben’s offense with the strength of the OL, just like the rest of the team benefits from their talent. This team’s #1 RB last year was a guy who can’t see the field in NO this season and it’s #1 TE last year now has 91 receiving yards through 14 games. Yet, when those guys were the #1s last season, this offense was still a Top 5 offense.

It’s nothing against Gibbs and LaPorta. Love them both, they’re both talented. But this offense still moves without them.

20

Add green Bay took the third tight end off the board
Lions might have been facing LaPorta twice a year

1 Like