Carolina Panthers 2023 NFL Draft scouting report: Jahmyr Gibbs

Will the Carolina Panthers look to pair the dynamic Jahmyr Gibbs with free agent acquisition Miles Sanders and create a lethal running back tandem in 2023?

Conventional wisdom in the modern NFL would say that selecting a running back in the early rounds of the draft is usually a fool's errand. This approach would further emphasize that point when a team just recently gave a $25 million contract to a running back that includes $13 million guaranteed.

However, conventional wisdom may go out the window when discussing a prospect of Jahmyr Gibbs' caliber.

Beyond the aforementioned Miles Sanders, the Carolina Panthers' current running back corps consisted of Chuba Hubbard, Raheem Blackshear, and Spencer Brown. While all three are currently 24 years old or younger and could still blossom into larger parts of the future, none have been able to do so up to this point.

With the Panthers having added Adam Thielen and D.J. Chark in recent weeks via free agency, the wide receiver position no longer appears to be in critical condition as it did in the immediate aftermath of the trade which saw D.J. Moore and draft capital given to the Chicago Bears in exchange for the No. 1 overall selection in this year's draft. Carolina still holds the No. 39 pick and with the pass-catching options shored up, the team may opt to explore possibilities at other positions.

In adding Gibbs, the Panthers could potentially have their first truly elite backfield tandem since the pairing of Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams. Carolina is no stranger to selecting running backs in the early rounds of the draft, having taken one in either the first or second round on six occasions, most recently drafting Christian McCaffrey with the No. 8 overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft.

With all of that said, let us dive into Gibbs and what makes him an intriguing prospect in this year's draft cycle.