When the Detroit Lions used the No. 12 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on Jahmyr Gibbs, plenty of analysts raised their eyebrows. In an era where drafting a running back that early is almost taboo, Lions GM Brad Holmes went against the grain.
Now, with Gibbs coming off a monster 2024 season—over 1,400 rushing yards, 20 total touchdowns, and a reputation as one of the NFL’s most dynamic offensive weapons—Holmes’ bold move looks like a masterstroke.
But what many don’t know? A conversation with Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk may have been the spark that lit the fuse.
TL;DR
- Brad Holmes’ decision to draft Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12 in 2023 was influenced by a long-ago conversation with Marshall Faulk.
- Faulk stressed the importance of having one running back who could do it all in the modern NFL.
- Holmes saw that exact versatility in Gibbs and trusted his scouting instincts.
- The pick has paid off in a big way for Detroit, with Gibbs emerging as one of the league’s most electrifying young stars.
Why It Matters
This wasn’t just a gut decision. Holmes saw a changing NFL landscape and leaned on wisdom from one of the game’s all-time greats to help identify a game-changer. The connection between Faulk’s advice and Gibbs’ impact perfectly explains Detroit’s forward-thinking approach under Holmes.
Marshall Faulk’s Words Still Echo
Back in 2003, Brad Holmes was just a PR intern for the St. Louis Rams. During training camp, he had the chance to sit down and interview Marshall Faulk—a future Hall of Famer known for revolutionizing the role of the running back.
Holmes never forgot what Faulk told him:
“Where this game is going to, you don’t have the space… You can’t have a short-yardage back and a third-down back and a scat back and a goal-line back. You’ve got to be able to do it all, man.”
Fast forward 20 years. Holmes turned on Jahmyr Gibbs’ Alabama tape, and suddenly, it clicked.
“This guy’s a weapon and can just do it all,” Holmes recalled on the Field Talk Podcast via Lions OnSI. “That conversation I had with Marshall Faulk just started coming back to me.”
The NFL’s Shift Toward Versatility
In today’s salary cap-driven league, having a do-it-all back isn’t just a luxury—it’s a necessity. Holmes recognized that early and decided to lean into it. Rather than focusing on draft-day consensus or position value arguments, he trusted his own scouting lens.
“It’s hard to go against the grain,” Holmes admitted. “Our brains are naturally wired to… go with the flow. But I’ve always been told to scout with my own eyes.”
The result? A franchise-changing backfield tandem in Gibbs and David Montgomery, with Gibbs playing the kind of role Faulk once excelled in—rushing, receiving, and stretching defenses with speed and vision.
The Bottom Line
Sometimes, the best decisions are the ones that make people uncomfortable at first. For Brad Holmes, betting on Jahmyr Gibbs—and remembering what Marshall Faulk once told him—may go down as one of the defining moves of his tenure in Detroit.
It was a pick rooted in instinct, insight, and a vision for where the NFL was headed. Turns out, Holmes was a couple steps ahead.
