Redskins draft ‘legit home run threat’ Antonio Gibson in third round

The Washington Redskins drafted Memphis wide receiver Antonio Gibson with the 66th overall pick Friday in the third round of the NFL draft, giving them an explosive playmaker who also played running back in college.

Gibson, 21, caught the attention of scouts, coaches and executives with his versatility and blazing speed. At the NFL scouting combine in February, the 6-foot, 228-pound Gibson ran a 4.39 40-yard dash. He, in theory, should become a much-needed weapon for starter Dwayne Haskins and gives the Redskins a threat to lineup all over the field.

In an interview with reporters, Redskins vice president of player personnel Kyle Smith said Washington views Gibson as a “Swiss army knife.”

Coach Ron Rivera echoed similar sentiments, embracing a comparison to Christian McCaffrey — the All-Pro running back who Rivera coached in Carolina. The Redskins see Gibson as a great fit for offensive coordinator Scott Turner’s scheme, which relies on versatile players capable of playing multiple spots and stretching the field.

“He’s a little bit bigger than Christian, but he’s got a skill set like Christian,” Rivera said. “He’s shown some position flexibility, playing in the slot. He’s shown some positional flexibility playing in the backfield. (Memphis) even ran some Wildcat with him behind the center, taking direct snaps.

“This is a very young, versatile football player that we really think can really get on the field for us early and contribute.”

If Gibson turns out to be as productive as McCaffrey — the No. 8 pick in the 2017 draft — then that would be a steal for the Redskins.

But the high expectations don’t seem to faze Gibson, who rushed for 369 yards and caught 38 receptions for 735 yards in 2019 for a total of 12 touchdowns (four rushing, eight receiving). On a conference call, Gibson leaned into the comparison.

“I would definitely like to compare myself to him,” Gibson said. “That’s exactly what I want to do: I want to be in the backfield but I also want to play the game in the receiving game. I feel like you can help out a team tremendously doing that, and that’s what I want to bring to the team.”

Gibson was Washington’s first pick on Day 2 of the NFL draft. The Redskins, of course, traded their second-round selection in last year’s deal with the Indianapolis Colts as part of a package to move up for pass rusher Montez Sweat.

Gibson, though, still appears to fill a major need. The Redskins’ offense was among the league’s worst in 2019, finishing 30th in offensive DVOA (efficiency) and dead-last in points per game. They lacked game-changing playmakers, outside rookie sensation Terry McLaurin.

When Washington finally got on the clock, Smith said the Redskins eyed a number of players they would have felt comfortable selecting. But they viewed Gibson as “an exciting prospect,” Smith said. Washington also valued Gibson’s ability to play special teams — the Memphis product was named the AAC co-special teams player of the year.

Gibson turned out to be the 14th receiver taken in the draft — or seventh running back selected, depending how one views his primary position. This year’s class of wideouts was highly regarded, with experts calling it the deepest in years.

For the Redskins, Gibson popped up on the team’s radar at the Senior Bowl. Smith and the front office kept pointing out Gibson at different positions during that game, Rivera said. From there, Rivera said the Redskins started “diving in” to find out more about the Georgia native.

Gibson, though, said it “kind of shocked me” when the Redskins finally called. Throughout the draft process, Gibson had heard from so many teams, he said it left him “clueless” as to where he’d end up.

But now his future is clearer, even if it isn’t immediately clear where on the field Gibson will line up the majority of the time. The Redskins wanted him, and Gibson said he’s willing to be “that gadget guy” who can play whatever position his new team asks.

“I view myself as a weapon,” Gibson said. “I’ve been playing running back and receiver my whole life. … Offense is just something I’m very talented at and it’s always been like that at a young age.

“I feel like I can dominate wherever they put me.”