Washington Redskins: Impact of each rookie in 2020 season

Antonio Gibson, RB/WR

The Redskins selected Antonio Gibson in the third round, with the 66th overall pick. He wants to be referred to as a “weapon” and that’s fantastic because that’s exactly what Washington needs. Gibson had a few roles at Memphis. He was a running back, and wide receiver and a returner. In Washington, he’ll likely stick to that Swiss army knife role.

Gibson’s going to be extremely useful. He’s got incredible speed, which will allow the Redskins to use him to take the top off of defenses at receiver. He could also be deadly in the slot (although Steven Sims Jr. showed a lot there last season).

Meanwhile, Gibson can be used in the backfield nicely as well. The Redskins have a ton of running backs. Gibson will allow them to run more two-back sets though and really throw different packages at defenses.

Finally, he’s a massive upgrade at returner. Sims Jr. looked good as a kick returner but Washington had no luck in the punt return category. Gibson will see time there immediately.

So the impact should be pretty substantial. The utility man will be one of Dwayne Haskins‘ best weapons from the very beginning and gives Washington all types of flexibility on offense.

More than likely, Gibson won’t be on the field at all times. So that will limit his impact slightly. However, he’s going to be one of the most dangerous men on the field when he’s out there. He could legitimately be their best playmaker on offense.

And the fact that Washington can use Gibson in so many different ways makes the impact that much more exciting. The Redskins got the type of weapon that few teams have with this selection. And the fact that he’ll be helping right off the bat only adds to the intrigue.

Immediate Impact: Playmaker