​My player profile breakdowns continue. After covering Jameson Williams, Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown, it’s time to take a look at my favorite player on the Lions: Jahmyr Gibbs. Gibbs will enter the season without David Montgomery for the first time in his career. Detroit gave us a glimpse of what life looked like with Gibbs as the featured back last season, as he handled the majority of the rushing attempts down the stretch, though Montgomery still carved out a sizable role. With Montgomery now fully out of the picture, I expect Gibbs to explode into the spotlight, establish himself as the NFL’s premier running back and potentially contend for Offensive Player of the Year honors.Gibbs’ best season came in 2024, when he rushed for 1,412 yards on 250 carries, averaging an impressive 5.6 yards per attempt while scoring 16 rushing touchdowns. He also added 517 receiving yards, finishing just shy of 2,000 total yards with 1,929. Those numbers become even more impressive when considering Montgomery logged 185 carries that season. With those touches now available, Gibbs has a realistic opportunity to eclipse 2,000 total yards—and potentially challenge the 2,000-yard rushing mark.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Lions’ offense will look different than it did in 2024, when Gibbs had his most efficient rushing season. Detroit has reshaped its offensive line following Frank Ragnow’s retirement and the release of Graham Glasgow. Detroit added Cade Mays, Juice Scruggs, Ben Bartch and Larry Borom in free agency while drafting Blake Miller in the first round. Mays is expected to start at center, while Borom and Miller will compete for the starting right tackle job, with Scruggs and Bartch contending for backup roles.Detroit also enters its first season under offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. During his three years calling plays in Arizona, the Cardinals consistently fielded one of the NFL’s top rushing attacks. James Conner posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons while averaging over five yards per carry, and Arizona finished fourth and seventh in rushing offense during Petzing’s tenure. His heavy use of 12 personnel should also benefit Gibbs, especially with strong blocking tight ends Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright. A more balanced offensive attack should also create lighter defensive fronts, giving Gibbs more opportunities to break explosive runs throughout games.If Detroit’s rebuilt offensive line performs as expected and Petzing’s rushing scheme translates, Gibbs could become just the 10th player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards. Only Derrick Henry (2020) and Saquon Barkley (2024) have reached the milestone since 2013, while Eric Dickerson’s 2,105 rushing yards in 1984 remain the league record.Gibbs’ elite explosiveness makes that possibility realistic. He recorded six runs of at least 40 yards last season, including a career-long 78-yard touchdown. If he stays healthy for all 17 games, Gibbs has a chance to rewrit