2023 NFL Draft running back odds: Can Jahmyr Gibbs be a first round pick?

Everybody knows about Texas running back Bijan Robinson and how he’s a top 10 prospect and is worth drafting inside the top half of the first round.

However, what about the second running back to be drafted? The overwhelming favorite to be the second back off the board is Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs, and there’s a chance he is rising late in the process to become a first round pick.

Gibbs transferred from Georgia Tech to Alabama last season and was a star, rushing for over six yards a carry, drawing Alvin Kamara comparisons in the process. After being a longshot to be a first round pick, Gibbs now seems to be building steam towards being one.

Oddsmakers believe it’s more likely than not he is one of the first 31 names called on Thursday night.

The odds on 1.5 running backs selected in the first round has gone from a long shot to go over to now shaded towards it, with Gibbs appearing in more first round mock drafts in the final days.

This prop was essentially a bet on the Bama prospect being a first round pick given that Robinson was a shoe-in to go in the first round and Gibbs was north of -300 throughout the process to be the second running back selected.

Lot of Jahmyr Gibbs smoke today:
* McShay: "Some teams don't even have that big of a gap between Robinson and him, which is telling because Robinson is a star."
* McShay: "Bottom line: I'd be surprised at this point if he doesn't go in Round 1."
* Peter King: "As good as Bijan…
— Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) April 24, 2023

There’s questions all over the draft board, but it appears that the tantalizing running back prospect is firmly in the mix to hear his name called Thursday night.