Packers Profile: Reggie Gilbert

A profile of Packers outside linebacker Reggie Gilbert.

The Tape

  • Position: Outside Linebacker
  • Age: 24
  • Height: 6’3”
  • Weight: 261 lbs.
  • 40-yard Dash: 4.79 seconds
  • Vertical Jump: 33.5”
  • Broad Jump: 9’ 6”
  • Bench Press: 24 reps at 225 pounds

The Roots

Reggie Gilbert was originally born in Sacramento, California but grew up and attended high school in Laveen, Arizona just outside of the Phoenix area.  Gilbert didn’t play prep football until he was 16 years old and also participated in track & field.  On the field in high school, Gilbert played both sides of the ball at defensive end and tight end.  Once on the field, his speed and size took over and after his senior season, he was selected to the All-West Region team by PrepStar Magazine.  Growing up in an athletic family, Reggie’s sister Vicki Baugh played college basketball for the legendary Tennessee Volunteers program and would go on to play in the WNBA and in Europe as a professional in Turkey.

During his prep days, Gilbert was heavily recruited by the University of Arizona, Vanderbilt, Montana, New Mexico, San Diego State and a few other small schools.  Ultimately, Gilbert would opt to stay in his home state and play in the high-profile PAC-12 Conference for the Arizona Wildcats.

Over the course of his college career, Gilbert would play as a true freshman as a reserve defensive lineman and see special teams action until his season was cut short with an injury after just four games.  This injury his freshman year would earn him a fifth year of eligibility due to a medical hardship waiver.  Beginning the following year, Gilbert would begin seeing significant playing time each season through his final year.  As a defensive lineman, Gilbert would register 144 total tackles, 28 tackles for a loss and 14 sacks on his college career.  His senior year numbers of 41 tackles, 8.5 tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks would lead the Wildcats among the defensive lineman.  Following his senior year, Gilbert earned PAC-12 All-Academic honorable mention honors.

As Gilbert ended his college career as a Wildcat, he knew he was a bit too undersized to make an NFL squad as a defensive lineman.  At that point, Gilbert worked hard to shed almost 15 pounds to get down to a weight more conducive of a defensive end/outside linebacker at the NFL level before his pro day for scouts at the University of Arizona.  After impressing some scouts at his pro day, Gilbert would go undrafted during the 2016 NFL Draft.  But he would later go on to sign with the Packers as an undrafted free agent on May 6, 2016.

Packers Career

As Gilbert came to the Packers in 2016 and began training camp, he would begin making the transition from being a three-point stance defensive lineman to an outside linebacker at the pro level.  As Gilbert would go on to battle through camp and the preseason in 2016, he would ultimately not make the grade for the final roster of that season.  But, in seeing something special in his raw talent, the Packers would sign him to the practice squad where he would remain for the entire season.

Following the 2016 season, the Packers would sign Gilbert to a futures contract to secure him back in camp for the upcoming season.  As training camp and the preseason progressed, Gilbert had appeared to be making a move to make the final 53-man roster for the 2017 season.  But once again, as final cuts came, Gilbert was released.  I, among many, didn’t believe Gilbert would “survive” waivers and make his way back to the practice squad but that was exactly what would happen. 

As the 2017 season progressed and the season fell apart, Gilbert would get the call up to the active roster for the final two weeks of the season against the Vikings and the Lions.  In those games, Gilbert showcased his speed off the edge by getting quarterback pressures and hits and would eventually tally his first NFL sack in the season finale against the Lions. 

The Future

What the future holds for Reggie Gilbert with the Packers remains to be seen.  With fans hankering for edge rushing help and with the Packers likely to add some talent there through the draft and/or free agency, this summer could be an exciting time to watch how Gilbert responds.  The team desperately needs more players to step up on this front and the lean and athletic Gilbert may have all the tools to get it done. 

With the inexperience that he came to the team with in 2016, his fellow competitors on the team have been left impressed with his progress.  Left tackle David Bakhtiari, who has seen many reps against Gilbert over the last two seasons, had many great things to say about the young linebacker and was surprised he hadn’t seen an opportunity in game action sooner.  Fellow outside linebacker Clay Matthews also had nothing but rave reviews about the effort and progress that Gilbert has displayed over the last two seasons. 

I’ll surely be excited to watch the outside linebacker battle in camp this summer and I’ll be keeping a close eye on Gilbert to see how he responds entering his third year with the team.

________________________

Ryan Brunner is an avid Packers fan hailing from Chippewa Falls, WI.  He is a firm believer that punters are NFL players too!  Follow him on Twitter @brunwardo

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Comments (20)

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Gianich's picture

March 09, 2018 at 01:28 pm

Needs more snaps!!!! When on the field he has always been productive.

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Gianich's picture

March 09, 2018 at 01:30 pm

Don't worry Mr. Bahk. You are not the only one surprised he has not seen the field more....Dynamic Dom scheming again! Thanks gosh this is not the case moving forward...

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Tundraboy's picture

March 10, 2018 at 12:23 am

Problem is they wasted all those snaps on Fackrell and like MM, Capers suffered from, don't play certain players until we absolutely have to regardless of talent and regardless of how much someone else is sucking, don't put them in unless it's an absolute Last Resort. Of course usually due to injury.

He showed enough to me to merit more snaps last year, and in a lot fewer games than a lot of others.

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Handsback's picture

March 09, 2018 at 01:49 pm

One name to remember....James Harrison. It took a few years of roster cutting and staying on the reserve squad in order for him to finally make the team. I think if Gilbert has the desire...he could have a great impact.

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Rossonero's picture

March 09, 2018 at 01:59 pm

Why Gilbert has had to wait this long is beyond me. It's not like we have a defense loaded with pass rushers. If he doesn't make the 53 man roster because of some late round pick from this year's draft class, if I were him, I'd take my talents elsewhere. Hopefully Mike Pettine will be like "whoa, we gotta get this guy in there."

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Handsback's picture

March 09, 2018 at 02:01 pm

Another guy we should remember is Amichia the guard selected in last year's draft. He has spent a healthy year getting stronger, learning the game and wouldn't be surprised if he becomes the starter at RG.

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Ryan Graham's picture

March 09, 2018 at 02:07 pm

Gilbert will either make the 53-man or go somewhere else. potentially stray in division and go to Detroit, or iff the Vikings get their hands on Cousins they could go after him as a cheap option. Hope he makes the 53-man.

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John Kirk's picture

March 09, 2018 at 02:08 pm

HIs athletic profile isn't good. However, he was a DE at ASU playing between 270-275, He drops his weight to 261 for his pro day and has a brutal performance.
This from SBnation.com sums up his pro day:

His 40 would have been the 8th-best by a defensive lineman at the NFL Combine. His vertical would have been 15th out of 16, and his broad jump and bench press would have been last. ----That's his athletic profile as a DE, now think of how he would've ranked as an EDGE/LB. Far worse save for bench.

This guy is a DE trying/learning to play EDGE. Will never be a star. Can he become a Cullen Jenkins type who works and works to be a good player for us?

Counting on him as anything more than a deep backup would be foolish. The urgency to get much much better to get rid of marginal guys like Reggie needs to be there.

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Bearmeat's picture

March 09, 2018 at 02:51 pm

And yet... he's still better than Fackrell and had about as much chance to play this past year as Biegel did. smh.

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Gianich's picture

March 09, 2018 at 08:09 pm

The Tape says football fast. Ill take that over measurables any day.

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Randy James's picture

March 09, 2018 at 02:42 pm

Do not snooze on him or Vince Biegel. Expecting big jumps. Turn em loose!!!

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Bearmeat's picture

March 09, 2018 at 02:52 pm

Hoping for big jumps would be smarter. Expecting big jumps out of 4th round picks with an injury history a mile long and UDFA's is going to leave you disappointed more often than not.

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Lare's picture

March 09, 2018 at 03:06 pm

The big question is how the defense, and any of the current players on the roster, will perform under Pettine and the new members on the coaching staff.

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Razer's picture

March 09, 2018 at 03:12 pm

Gilbert flash at the end of last year on a fairly poor defense. Let's hope that Mike Pettine gets these guys playing fast and smart. I am excited to see what he can do with the players we have and the new blood going into next year.

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Thegreatreynoldo's picture

March 09, 2018 at 04:31 pm

I have issues sometimes over the choices GB makes on personnel. I found it frustrating that the coaches never really let him work against 1st and 2nd stringers during the preseason, making it hard for me to judge his success against a bunch of 3rd stringers who collectively were unlikely to remain in the NFL themselves. Almost like they decided early that they wanted to hide Gilbert so he'd clear waivers and be stashed on the PS.

Gilbert was the 6th OLB by snaps last season, not far ahead of Odom. Can't surprise if we draft an OLB and someone, maybe Gilbert, is an ex-Packer. Could be a surprise like Fackrell, but probably down to Odom and Gilbert, unless we keep 8 OLBs.

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worztik's picture

March 09, 2018 at 05:57 pm

We just traded Demarious Randall to the Browns for Deshon Kiser!!! No word on if picks were involved!!!!

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worztik's picture

March 09, 2018 at 05:58 pm

Kiser!!!

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worztik's picture

March 09, 2018 at 05:59 pm

Kizer!!! Dammit!!!!

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worztik's picture

March 09, 2018 at 05:59 pm

WOO HOO!!!!!!!!

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Gianich's picture

March 09, 2018 at 08:13 pm

So much for that "3 years invested in the system" Mashed Potato Mike was so confident with last year...

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