The New Weapons Reality
When Brad Holmes drafted Jahmyr Gibbs with the 12th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, he made it clear what he was getting. A weapon. The kind of dual-threat playmaker you build around, not just plug in. Holmes compared him to Marshall Faulk and Christian McCaffrey. High praise. High expectations.
Gibbs delivered. He caught 77 passes for 616 yards and five touchdowns in 2025 while also being a legitimate threat out of the backfield. The kind of player who makes defensive coordinators lose sleep.
But here’s the thing about weapons in the NFL. When you have too many of them, something’s got to give.
The Depth Chart Says It All
Look at what Holmes has assembled this offseason. Isaac TeSlaa is going to see more targets. Greg Dortch specializes in exactly the kind of underneath work and screens that Gibbs has been doing. Rookie Kenrick Law brings similar skills. Tyler Conklin joins Sam LaPorta in the tight end room.
Suddenly, there are a lot of mouths to feed. A lot of places for Jared Goff to look when he needs a quick out or a safety valve.
This isn’t a problem. It’s progress. But it does raise the question of whether Gibbs needs to be catching 77 passes when you’ve got this kind of depth across the skill positions.
The Shift Makes Sense
If the Lions dial back Gibbs’ involvement in the passing game, it’s not because they don’t trust him. It’s because they’re finally deep enough to protect him. Fewer catches means fewer hits. Fewer opportunities for the kind of contact that shortens careers.
Holmes didn’t spend a first-round pick on Gibbs to watch him get ground down by volume. He drafted him to be explosive when it matters. Sometimes that means being smart about when and how you use him.
The Lions aren’t going away from Gibbs as a receiving threat completely. That would be insane. But with all these new weapons to work with, expect to see a more strategic approach to how they deploy their most dynamic playmaker.
Are we overthinking this or is Holmes playing chess while the rest of the league plays checkers? Let me know what you think in the comments.
