Antonio Gibson NFL draft profile and fantasy projection

Antonio Gibson played football and basketball in high school, then went to JUCO where he shined. He then went on to Memphis, where he split time between receiver and running back. Gibson was primarily a receiver, catching 38 passes for 735 yards, (19.3 ypr), and eight touchdowns, adding 33 carries for 369 yards, (11.2 ypc) and four more touchdowns. He also was a dynamic kick returner with 23 returns for 645 yards and one touchdown in 14 games (eight starts). Those kind of numbers will get anyone perking up their ears.

Scouting Report

Gibson’s haphazard development in college will hurt him in the draft, but his upside is there in his tape, albeit a limited amount of tape. His 4.39 40 at the combine also will give teams pause before skipping him on draft day. His talent is obvious but with no true position, which has him lacking in some fundamentals, he’ll still likely last until the fourth round or later.

Gibson is a big play waiting to happen but will need manufactured touches early in his career, as he needs work as a route runner and pass blocker, but his instincts as a runner are what you want out of someone that still needs time to develop. And at this point, a team will need to decide where they want him playing. He can still be a versatile “chess piece,” but he’ll need to find a position so he can work on the skills of that position. It’s easy to see him being a strong slot receiver or receiving back, but to be a receiving back, he’ll need to improve as a blocker and fast. In the end, it may be better for him to work toward being a slot receiver.

Antonio Gibson is a fascinating blend of receiving skills and open field ability — his projection to the NFL level is a little murky due to just 33 carries, yet his field vision, wiggle and functional power as a runner all offer a lot of promise to a spread team who will afford him the same luxuries of light boxes and open spaces that Memphis did. This is an ultimate chess piece for an offense and, with the right blend of slot reps, screen action and rushing workload, he can be high impact. — Kyle Crabbs, The Draft Network

Mock Draft Results

Mel Kiper, ESPN: Not in mock
Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com: Not in mock
Eric Edholm, Yahoo Sports: Not in mock
Doug Farrar, Touchdown Wire: Not in mock

Fantasy impact: Rookie year

Gibson’s impact will likely be as a returner early on, but his ability can transfer to the NFL field as a gadget player who doesn’t need to do much more than try to gain yardage after getting a manufactured touch. That won’t be enough for fantasy value his rookie year, but in return yardage leagues, there’s a chance.

Fantasy impact: Career

If you are in a deep dynasty league, Gibson is going to be a lottery ticket to stash away from Day 1. If given time to develop, he has one of the higher ceilings in the draft. The earlier he is drafted, the better, but if a team wants him, they are likely ready to give him some time to learn on the job.