When the Detroit Lions grabbed Jahmyr Gibbs with the 12th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, plenty of folks were left scratching their heads. In today’s NFL, taking a running back that early? That’s borderline taboo. But GM Brad Holmes clearly saw something the rest of the league didn’t—and now we know a Hall of Fame running back may have helped tip the scales.
Coming off a breakout 2024 campaign—racking up over 1,400 rushing yards and 20 total touchdowns—Gibbs has quickly turned into one of the league’s most electric playmakers. And for Holmes, that pick was about more than numbers. It was about vision. It was about instincts. And it all started with a conversation he had over 20 years ago.
Back in 2003, Holmes was just a PR intern with the Rams when he had a chance to interview none other than Marshall Faulk. The legendary back gave him advice that stuck: if you want a real weapon in today’s NFL, you need one guy who can do it all—run, catch, block, score. Holmes never forgot it.
Fast forward to draft season 2023. Holmes turns on tape of Gibbs at Alabama, and boom—it hits him. “That conversation I had with Marshall Faulk just started coming back to me,” Holmes said recently on the Field Talk Podcast. “This guy’s a weapon and can just do it all.”
That moment helped Holmes ignore the critics and go with his gut. Instead of chasing what the mock drafts said or what was considered “safe,” he trusted what he saw: a game-changer in Gibbs. And boy, was he right.
Now Gibbs is a key piece in Detroit’s offense, forming a dynamic duo with David Montgomery while giving defenses nightmares in both the run and pass game. Just like Faulk said—versatility is king.
For Holmes, this wasn’t just a good pick—it might go down as one of the biggest moments of his Lions tenure. All thanks to a piece of advice from a legend that never left his mind.
Brad Holmes Says Hall of Fame Advice Fueled His Bold Jahmyr Gibbs Pick
