Sometimes snubs can turn into motivation, and Washington Commanders fans will be hoping that’s exactly what happens after Pro Football Focus left running back Antonio Gibson off its list of top 20 running backs for the 2022 NFL Season.
Washington Commanders running back, Antonio Gibson
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Washington Commanders running back, Antonio Gibson
© Brad Mills | 2020 Nov 22
Washington Commanders running back, Antonio Gibson
This list was compiled comparing only projected starters for the new league year, so no backups with star power were included to muddy up the waters. Meaning, of the 32 starting backs in the NFL, PFF thinks Gibson is in the bottom 12 of them.
There were six tiers the 20 backs that did make the list were divided between. Starting with “Tier 1: Elite” and ending with “Tier 6: Solid Starters”.
“Teams are looking for complementary skill sets and running backs that can split the workload at a position that has tended to have a short shelf life,” wrote PFF. “That makes this list of the top-20 running backs entering the 2022 season an interesting mix of the few remaining three-down backs and players who have been efficient in more balanced committees.”
There are some names on the list that most won’t argue belong there, and certainly could or should be ranked ahead of Gibson at this juncture.
Guys like Derrick Henry (Titans), Jonathan Taylor (Colts), and Alvin Kamara (Saints).
But there are also those that are a little more of a head-scratcher.
Like Buffalo Bills running back Devin Singletary.
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Singletary has yet to break 1,000-yards rushing in a single season, while Gibson not only did so in 2021, he actually finished with the sixth-most rushing yards among backs last year despite his team playing from behind for much of it.
Both men had seven rushing touchdowns, and while Gibson had six fumbles, Singletary had five.
Gibson also topped Singletary in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdown catches.
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Washington Commanders running back, Antonio Gibson
Patrick Smith/Getty Images
Washington Commanders running back, Antonio Gibson
© Brad Mills | 2020 Oct 25
Washington Commanders running back, Antonio Gibson (No. 24)
The final piece of evidence I’ll present is the fact the Buffalo Bills went into the NFL Draft targeting a player in James Cook (Georgia) who does much of what Singletary does – but might do it better eventually – while the Washington Commanders added Brian Robinson Jr. (Alabama) who is expected to bring an additional dynamic to the group to pair with Gibson.
This isn’t intended to be a hit piece on Singletary by any means, and his presence on the list is likely explained by the singular area he significantly outshines Gibson: His PFF grade.
Pro Football Focus may not value Gibson highly, but the Washington Commanders certainly hold him in high regard, as do fans of the team and player.
And something tells me his ranking on this list may be a little different this time next year.