Round 3 pick 5 #68 : Jarron Gilbert DT

[Cliff Levingston]

20 more pounds on this guy would put him in the 300 range and he probably won't lose much athleticism. Let's see if he has some chemistry with Tommie.

That's a scary thought! Awesome!

Cliff Levingston wanted Rashad Johnson but this is a great pick as well. Gilbert/Anderson are a great pair of projects for Marinelli. If anyone can turn those two into studs, it's him.

[Chewie]

Under SI.com's "biggest steals" :
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/football/nfl/draft-2009/04/26/steals.reaches/index.html?eref=T1

Jarron Gilbert/DL/Chicago/3rd round: Gilbert's drop down draft boards is mystifying considering the results of his senior campaign plus his workouts leading up to the draft. He offers starting potential and could turn into the steal of the '09 draft.

[Chewie]

SI.com's Don Banks :
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/don_banks/04/26/snap.judgments/index.html?eref=T1

I don't know what to make of this pool-jumping story that has apparently made Bears third-round pick Jarron Gilbert a bit of a YouTube sensation. The San Jose State defensive tackle made waves (sorry, couldn't resist) last summer when he was video-taped jumping out of the shallow end of a pool after being told that ex-Rams, Redskins and Bears safety Adam Archuleta had once performed the same feat.

OK, I get it that it means Gilbert is one very strong dude. Granted. But does it ensure that he can really jack up the Bears' pass rush? I don't think so. No more than Kyle Boller being able to throw it through the goal posts from midfield on his knees made him a great quarterback in Baltimore when he was taken in the first round out of Cal in 2003.

So who exactly said jumping out of a pool meant he could solve our pass rush issues? It's just a cool thing to watch. What an idiot. Maybe you should take a look at the 9.5 sacks and NCAA-leading 22 tackles for loss, dill-hole.

[Balance-a-Bull]

SI.com's Don Banks :
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/don_banks/04/26/snap.judgments/index.html?eref=T1

I don't know what to make of this pool-jumping story that has apparently made Bears third-round pick Jarron Gilbert a bit of a YouTube sensation. The San Jose State defensive tackle made waves (sorry, couldn't resist) last summer when he was video-taped jumping out of the shallow end of a pool after being told that ex-Rams, Redskins and Bears safety Adam Archuleta had once performed the same feat.

OK, I get it that it means Gilbert is one very strong dude. Granted. But does it ensure that he can really jack up the Bears' pass rush? I don't think so. No more than Kyle Boller being able to throw it through the goal posts from midfield on his knees made him a great quarterback in Baltimore when he was taken in the first round out of Cal in 2003.

So who exactly said jumping out of a pool meant he could solve our pass rush issues? It's just a cool thing to watch. What an idiot. Maybe you should take a look at the 9.5 sacks and NCAA-leading 22 tackles for loss, dill-hole.

Thank you Chewie .... and I really love the stat in bold. I was more impressed by that !

[fleet]

just what the HELL has gotten into Jerry Angelo? And the Bears? Drafting this kind of player up high is something the other teams did and Bears never used to even think about. Let alone going long for a Jay Cutler and playing offense. Obama was not joking about change. The new President's mojo is awesome. Toto we are not in Kansas anymore.

[fleet]

I almost get more interested in thinking about Harrison and Gilbert inside than I do about Tommie Harris and Gilbert. Bah Tommie Harris, who is dead to me.

[TNBT]

I almost get more interested in thinking about Harrison and Gilbert inside than I do about Tommie Harris and Gilbert. Bah Tommie Harris, who is dead to me.

I'm kind of out of the loop being down here in Australia, but what's wrong with Tommie Harris? I know he gets injured a lot, but what's the problem? Is he going to be healthy to start the season? As for this pick, I'm pretty excited about it. He sounds like a real steal for us who could become something special if he keeps his head in the game.

[ChronicKerr]

Listed to M&H interview Gilbert this morning. He had no idea the Bears were looking at him. He never interviewed with them or anything. He thought he was going to a 3-4 defensive team but he's happy he landed here because he prefers a 4 man front which allows him to get to the QB moreso than defend the run. He said that they told him he would most likely play the 3 technique DT position to start but could play some end as well. Said Tommie Harris called him after the draft to congrajulate him.

[Chewie]

I almost get more interested in thinking about Harrison and Gilbert inside than I do about Tommie Harris and Gilbert. Bah Tommie Harris, who is dead to me.

I'm kind of out of the loop being down here in Australia, but what's wrong with Tommie Harris? I know he gets injured a lot, but what's the problem? Is he going to be healthy to start the season? As for this pick, I'm pretty excited about it. He sounds like a real steal for us who could become something special if he keeps his head in the game.

The Bears publicly say he's healthy but he's always been a part-time player going back to Oklahoma due to the knee. It almost requires you have good depth at the position which is why you see us have as many quality DTs on the roster that you do.

[Icness]

Gilbert should be an excellent fit next to Harris, assuming Harris gets back to full strength (huge if!). But if he's not next to a very good 1-technique, he's wasted. Best comparison I can come up with is a lighter, quicker Cory Redding the year the Lions had great success with Redding and Rogers. Last year no Rogers = ineffective Redding. Gilbert is that same sort of tackle that can thrive next to a good nose but will struggle if required to do too much.

My scouting report:

Summary: Incredible athletic prowess for a man his size. Very quick burst off the line. Has the strength and length in his arms to stay off blocks, knows how to use his hands properly. Good play recognition, isn’t fooled by play action or draws. Great lateral quickness and agility for the position. Closes on the ball with authority and has some pop to his hits. His dad played in the NFL, which speaks to his football upbringing. Can be effectively neutralized when the blocker gets to his pads, does not have the strength of most tackles to unlock. Loses his leg drive and gets upright when engaged. Not a strong run anchor. Some observers question his fight; has not always held up against nasty mauler-types. Could be a tweener; best fit is probably at 3-4 RDE but he’s not physical enough for most teams who employ that scheme, and he’s too light (and he plays light) for a 3-technique 4-3 scheme.
Forecast: Regardless of whether you believe the YouTube of him jumping out of the pool, the fact that it’s credible speaks to just how physically gifted Gilbert is, and he dominated in postseason bowl workouts. A draft board riser who will come off the board in the 25-45 range, though there is considerable risk

The one knock that consistently came up against him is that he doesn't handle getting popped well, doesn't like the real physical attacking O-linemen. It shows up on tape if you catch their games against Boise State and Idaho--they fired out and got physical with him and he was not the same player. Idaho consistently ran right at him and had loads of success, though Gilbert did make a late pass deflection and a great chasedown tackle on a draw that allowed them to salvage a win. He absolutely destroyed some pretty good guards during East-West practice drills, esp. the pass rush drills.