The 2022 NFL Draft concluded last Saturday, and while no former FAU Owls were selected, five have signed to NFL teams as undrafted free agents.
Of that group, the two that seem to have the most potential both come from the defensive side of the ball in linebacker Caliph Brice, who signed with the Green Bay Packers, and cornerback Zyon Gilbert, who signed with the New York Giants.
Brice transferred to FAU in 2019 after spending his freshman season playing for Hutchinson Community College in Hutchinson, Kansas. He accounted for 28 total tackles and his only career interception in 2019, and 54 total tackles and two fumble recoveries in 2020.
In 2021, Brice was on track to have the best season of his career before he suffered an arm injury in October versus UTEP, sidelining him for three games. Although he was forced to miss time due to injury, he had a career-high 59 total tackles and a forced fumble in 2021.
Despite a productive last season, most of the talk surrounding Brice’s name came following his performance at FAU’s pro day workout on March 31. At pro day, Brice measured in at 6-foot-1.5-inches and 233 pounds, however, the most intriguing numbers were his 4.5 second 40-yard dash and 37.5-inch vertical jump—both fantastic scores for a player with his frame.
Brice’s 40 time was faster than both linebackers selected in the first round, and had he participated in the NFL scouting combine, his 40 time would have been fifth-best of the entire linebacker group.
Brice’s size coupled with his aggressiveness on the field made him a great run stopper for the FAU defense. He likes to come downhill and hit, and was frequently in the opposing backfields giving quarterbacks problems, which the Green Bay defense could use as they ranked 15th in the league in quarterback pressure percentage.
Despite having pro level speed, Brice sometimes struggled in pass coverage which is evident as he only recorded one interception and two pass deflections in three seasons at FAU. The bigger, faster, and stronger receivers in the NFL will only give more problems in coverage.
Green Bay already has one of the best defenses in the league on paper, and they have no shortage of linebackers as they re-signed first team All-Pro De’Vondre Campbell this offseason and drafted Quay Walker in the first round with the 22nd overall pick, so Brice will be competing for a spot this fall.
If Brice ends up earning a spot on the final roster, spending a year towards the bottom of the depth chart will do him more good than bad. He can have a season to learn from an All-Pro in Campbell and further develop his skills in coverage under Packers’ defensive coordinator Joe Barry who is known for prioritizing pass defense.
With his rare combination of size and speed paired with a year of development under one of the league’s best defenses, Brice could very well end up being one of the premier linebackers from this rookie class.
Cornerback Zyon Gilbert, who signed with the New York Giants, started his career at FAU in 2017 as a true freshman under former head coach Lane Kiffin. Gilbert was productive immediately for the Owls, racking up a career-high 52 total tackles as a freshman.
He had another breakout season again in 2019 when he had 48 total tackles, a career-high two interceptions, and 10 passes defended. Gilbert finished a solid, five-year career at FAU in 2021 with another productive season where he racked up 51 total tackles, two interceptions and a career-high 12 passes deflected.
Many had Gilbert as FAU’s highest-rated prospect at the end of last season, however, similar to Brice, his name began to gain traction after his impressive pro day performance where he measured in at 6-feet tall, 193 pounds and recorded a 4.4 second 40-yard dash and a 40-inch vertical jump—both were the best scores at FAU’s pro day.
Gilbert is a near perfect example of a fast, athletic cornerback. He is fast and long which allows him to consistently keep receivers in front of him and not get beat deep. This will make Gilbert a true asset for the zone blitz-heavy scheme Giants’ new defensive coordinator Don Martindale is known for.
Press coverage is the part of Gilbert’s game that could use the most development. Though he isn’t hesitant to be physical in press coverage, he can be slow reacting to receivers’ moves off line.
He was frequently able to make up for this by tracking with this incredible burst, however, the faster receivers in the NFL will not give him that opportunity as much as they did in college.
In New York, not only will Gilbert have a good opportunity to compete for a spot on a roster, but also for meaningful playing time as a rookie, as his game fits almost perfectly into Martindale’s scheme. Also, the cornerback position is relatively thin on the Giants depth chart right now, as it was announced former pro bowler, cornerback James Bradberry, is being released by the Giants.
With the 110th overall draft pick, the Giants selected cornerback Darnay Holmes, so there will be some competition within the position group, however, with his game New York is a perfect landing spot for Gilbert to be an immediate contributor.