MARSHALL FAULK EFFECT: How Hall of Famer’s Legacy Inspired the Detroit Lions to Take a Bold Gamble on Jahmyr Gibbs in the NFL Draft

When the Detroit Lions selected Jahmyr Gibbs with the 12th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the decision was met with surprise, skepticism, and even ridicule from pundits who questioned the value of taking a running back so early in an era dominated by passing offenses and analytics. But beneath the surface of the bold move was a powerful influence that had shaped the Lions’ thinking—an influence that traces back decades to one of the most versatile, electrifying, and revolutionary players the game has ever seen: Marshall Faulk. Faulk, the Hall of Famer who redefined the running back position with his unique blend of speed, receiving ability, and football IQ, left a legacy that continues to ripple through NFL front offices and coaching staffs. For Detroit, that ripple became a wave as they envisioned Jahmyr Gibbs not just as a running back, but as a weapon—an all-purpose, matchup-proof threat in the mold of Faulk himself.

The comparisons to Faulk weren’t just media narratives or lazy parallels; they were deliberate. From the moment Gibbs began rising up draft boards at Alabama, scouts and coaches whispered that his fluidity in space, natural hands, and elite burst evoked memories of the former Rams and Colts great. But the story truly begins in Allen Park, Michigan, inside the Lions’ front office, where General Manager Brad Holmes and Head Coach Dan Campbell were carefully reshaping a culture, looking not just for good players, but for game-changers who fit a new identity rooted in aggression, flexibility, and innovation. In their search for a modern offensive engine, they kept circling back to one thing: the blueprint that Marshall Faulk laid down in the early 2000s with the “Greatest Show on Turf.”

Faulk was more than a running back; he was a system unto himself. As a pass-catching back who could run precise routes, pick up blitzes, and break long runs with a single cut, he forced defenses to compromise their structures and dictated matchups in a way no other back had done before him. The Lions saw that same potential in Gibbs, a player who averaged over 6 yards per carry in college and racked up more than 1,300 all-purpose yards in his final season at Alabama. Gibbs wasn’t just a backfield presence; he was often split out wide, deployed in motion, and used to manipulate defenses before the snap—a hallmark of how Faulk had been used by Mike Martz in St. Louis. That versatility opened eyes in Detroit’s war room. They weren’t drafting a running back at No. 12; they were drafting a prototype, a modern avatar of a role that only a few in NFL history had ever truly mastered.

It’s no accident that Brad Holmes, a longtime Rams executive before joining Detroit, was deeply familiar with Faulk’s influence. Even though Faulk retired in 2007, his impact continued to shape the Rams’ philosophy and scouting tendencies, especially in valuing players who could tilt the field with their versatility. Holmes internalized those lessons during his rise through the Rams’ organization. By the time the 2023 draft approached, Holmes had seen the Lions construct a dominant offensive line and bring in promising young talent at wide receiver and tight end. But what they lacked was a chess piece—someone who could be the pivot around which offensive unpredictability revolved. Gibbs was that piece. And just like Faulk had done for Kurt Warner and the Rams’ offense decades earlier, the Lions believed Gibbs could unlock layers of explosiveness for Jared Goff and Detroit’s attack.

Dan Campbell’s buy-in was just as critical. A former tight end who had played during Faulk’s prime, Campbell understood firsthand what it was like to try and defend against such a multidimensional threat. He also valued toughness, grit, and reliability—qualities that Faulk embodied and Gibbs had demonstrated during his time at both Georgia Tech and Alabama. Gibbs was more than just fast; he was smart, disciplined, and fearless between the tackles. His film showed a back who could absorb contact, maintain balance, and accelerate through small windows—traits that separated Faulk from other flashy backs in his era. When Campbell and Holmes studied Gibbs, they saw a player who not only looked like Faulk in motion but approached the game with a similar cerebral intensity.

The Lions’ decision also reflected a broader philosophical departure from traditional draft orthodoxy. In a league increasingly obsessed with positional value and replaceability, Detroit was signaling a belief that unique talent can transcend positional devaluation. Just as the Rams had done with Faulk—acquiring him in a blockbuster trade from the Colts and making him the centerpiece of an offensive revolution—the Lions were rejecting conventional wisdom in favor of transformative upside. They weren’t drafting for depth charts; they were drafting for nightmares, for sleepless defensive coordinators trying to figure out how to account for Gibbs in motion, in the slot, on screens, and on wheel routes. It was a gamble, yes. But it was a calculated gamble with Faulk’s ghost nodding approval in the background.

And then came the 2023 season, when Gibbs began to validate that vision. Though he started behind veteran David Montgomery, Gibbs quickly showcased why the Lions had reached to get him. His acceleration in open space, his smooth cuts on outside zone plays, and his hands as a pass-catcher reminded observers of exactly who he was modeled after. In games where the Lions needed a spark, Gibbs often delivered it. His ability to turn short throws into 20-yard gains and his vision behind pulling guards resembled the kind of intuitive brilliance that Faulk once made routine. Every time Gibbs peeled off a big play or created mismatches against linebackers in coverage, the comparisons grew louder—and they weren’t unfounded.

Off the field, the Faulk-Gibbs link also manifested in the way both carried themselves. Faulk, known for his articulate breakdowns of the game and leadership in the locker room, was always more than just a player. Gibbs, soft-spoken but confident, similarly drew praise for his humility and work ethic, absorbing the playbook quickly and earning the trust of teammates and coaches alike. Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson increasingly found ways to build the playbook around him, experimenting with motion sets and two-back looks that gave Gibbs the space to create chaos. In many ways, the Lions were reimagining their offense through a Marshall Faulk lens, using Gibbs not just as a rusher but as a centerpiece of their identity.

The gamble was working. And perhaps more importantly, it was re-igniting a long-dormant Detroit fanbase hungry for hope, hungry for stars, and hungry for a team that didn’t just compete but innovated. Jahmyr Gibbs was not just a pick. He was a signal—a flash of light pointing toward a different future for the Lions, one built on creativity, risk-taking, and a deep appreciation for football artistry. Just as Faulk once inspired a generation of offensive coordinators to think beyond the box, his legacy was now inspiring Detroit to tear the box apart completely.

As the NFL continues to evolve, the lessons of players like Marshall Faulk grow more—not less—relevant. The game may be faster, more specialized, and more analytically driven than ever before, but football remains, at its core, a sport defined by mismatches, vision, and playmakers who can break structure. Faulk was a pioneer in that regard. Gibbs, it seems, is part of the next wave—another hybrid who can take a handoff on first down, line up at receiver on second down, and score from anywhere on third. The Lions, long the league’s symbol of mediocrity and misfortune, saw that possibility and seized it.

In a strange but beautiful way, the Detroit Lions’ controversial 2023 first-round pick wasn’t just a scouting decision. It was a tribute. It was an homage to one of the game’s greatest innovators. And it was a bold declaration that Marshall Faulk’s influence still echoes today—not only in the highlight reels and Hall of Fame speeches but in the war rooms, on draft night, where teams dream of finding the next player who can do it all. In Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit believes they’ve found that player. And in Marshall Faulk, they found the roadmap.