Best bets for team to draft Jahmyr Gibbs in the 2023 NFL Draft

Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs enters the 2023 NFL Draft as an intriguing prospect in the backfield. While he may not possess the star power similar to the likes of Bijan Robinson, he can more than add a burst to an NFL backfield and join a running back by committee situation.

Which team will be the first to call his name on draft night? We run down the current favorites to add Alabama’s running back to their roster.

Team odds

DraftKings Sportsbook has listed every team’s odds to draft Hooker. Here are the top five:

• New England Patriots +550
• Cincinnati Bengals +900
• Dallas Cowboys +900
• Buffalo Bills +1000
• Kansas City Chiefs +1200

*Odds as of Friday, April 21

Best bets

While Gibbs most likely won’t be the first running back drafted in the NFL Draft, he has a nice consolation prize in potentially joining a playoff-ready team set on competing. The Bills, Bengals, and Cowboys are all listed as likely favorites to draft Gibbs and it’s not hard to see why the Crimson Tide product could help carry them over the top.

Last season the Bills ranked eighth in rushing (133.3 YPG) and yet quarterback Josh Allen finished as the team’s second-leading rusher (762 yards), just slightly behind Devin Singletary (819). That’s a recipe for disaster if Buffalo hopes to contend with their franchise quarterback for the long haul.

Adding Gibbs could give their backfield a nice burst of youth and hopefully take some of the load off of Allen in the ground game.

The Bengals make plenty of sense as well given the departure of veteran Samaje Perine in the offseason as well as the uncertainty, both on and off the field, regarding Joe Mixon. With big contract extensions on the horizon for Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, Mixon is a clear favorite to be a future salary cap casualty. Gibbs could come in and provide ample production on a cheap, rookie contract.

Best bet: Bengals