NFL Draft

Lions Sign 1st-Round Pick Jahmyr Gibbs to Rookie Contract

Detroit's new offensive weapon was an electrifying playmaker at Alabama.

Luke Easterling

Junfu Han-USA TODAY NETWORK
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The Detroit Lions have signed running back Jahmyr Gibbs to his rookie contract, the team confirmed Monday afternoon.

As with all first-round picks, Gibbs gets a four-year deal, with a team option for a fifth year.

The No. 12 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Gibbs was a big-play machine at Alabama last season after transferring from Georgia Tech. His explosiveness and versatility should allow the Lions offense to get him on the field early and often this season, in myriad ways that could make life miserable for opposing defenses.

After barely missing the playoffs last season, expectations are as high as they've been in quite a while for the Lions as they head into the 2023 campaign. Adding young talent like Gibbs to an already promising roster should make them a popular dark-horse pick to win the NFC North after Aaron Rodgers' departure from Green Bay and the exodus of many key veterans in Minnesota.

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Luke Easterling
LUKE EASTERLING

Luke Easterling (he/him) has been covering college football and the NFL for more than two decades, with a particular focus on the nexus of both, the NFL Draft. Writing for some of the largest and most recognizable brands in sports media, Luke's experience and expertise in evaluating potential NFL prospects and evaluating team needs/fits has earned the appreciation of his readers, and the respect of his peers. Luke cut his sports journalism teeth at The Tampa Tribune before spending two years at Bleacher Report as a featured columnist covering the NFL Draft and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Luke then spent nearly seven years at USA TODAY Sports Media Group as editor of Draft Wire and Bucs Wire, building both into authoritative destination sites for their respective audiences. Now at The Arena Group, Luke covers the NFL and college football for Athlon Sports, and runs Sports Illustrated's FanNation site for the NFL Draft. A graduate of the University of South Florida, Luke has been a featured guest on ESPN Radio, CBS Sports Radio, Fox Sports Radio, SiriusXM and more.  Based in Tampa, Florida (the true home of the Cuban sandwich), Luke plays the drums, loves 2000s pop-punk, watches way too many British murder mystery shows, and channels the energy of his deep-south Grammy and his full-Italian Nana in the kitchen. Twitter: @lukeeasterling Email: luke.easterling@si.com

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