Alohi

Gilman

Slot CB Ja’Sir Taylor (fibula) was also absent on Wednesday. The Chargers’ middling secondary cannot afford to lose two starters in one week, though the Panthers’ lackluster passing game is likely a manageable opponent even if the defense is short staffed.

It’s reportedly worth “over” $11 million. A 26-year-old former depth piece, Gilman became a true starter last season and forced three fumbles while picking off two passes. He also recovered a pair of fumbles and held up well against the run. Gilman received elite coverage marks from Pro Football Focus. New coach Jim Harbaugh obviously liked what he saw on film, and Gilman is now poised to remain a starter for 2024.

The Chargers just had a walkthrough after a Monday night game, so this is an estimation, but Gilman was marked as an DNP. We’ll have to keep an eye on his status going forward, but the Chargers will clearly want their starting free safety active against the Chiefs. To make matters worse, back-up free safety Raheem Layne (knee) also didn’t practice on Wednesday.

Gilman (5’10/201) was a captain and two-year starting strong safety at Notre Dame after transferring from Navy in 2017. His competitiveness and natural instincts made him a highly productive player in college. He set the Fighting Irish record for tackles in a game (19) and has three collegiate seasons with at least 74 tackles. His coverage skills are lacking, largely because he lacks the burst and top-end speed of other safeties. At the Combine, Gilman tested in the 26th percentile and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.60 seconds, scores low enough to project a subpackage and special teams role in the NFL. His character and energy will be assets in the locker room.

Gilman (5’10/201) was a captain and two-year starting strong safety at Notre Dame after transferring from Navy in 2017. His competitiveness and natural instincts made him a highly productive player in college, setting the Fighting Irish record for tackles in a game (19) while posting 74 tackles in three collegiate seasons. His coverage skills are admittedly lacking since he lacks the burst and top-end speed of other safeties. At the Combine, Gilman tested in the 26th-percentile and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.60 seconds, scores low enough to project him in a subpackage and special teams role with the Chargers. His character and energy will be assets in the locker room.

Zierlein is a big fan of Gilman’s in-your-face playing style, but notes that his “pursuit lacks control, as does his tackling at times.” The analyst also notes that the 5-foot-10, 210-pounder could be an issue in coverage due to “mental busts” from time-to-time. Zierlein believes that despite some of these concerns, Gilman has the chops to develop into a useful special teams cog/backup at the pro level.

Gilman’s time is right around average for the safeties that participated in the event. Unfortunately the explosiveness wasn’t there, as the former Fighting Irish safety posted the second worst vertical at 31 inches among defensive backs, and his 119-inch broad jump wasn’t much better. Gilman is an instinctive football player, but there are understandable athletic concerns with the 5-foot-10, 201-pound safety.

The 5-foot-11, 202-pounder transferred to Notre Dame following a stellar freshman season at Navy. He did so precisely with the NFL in mind -- a 2017 Department of Defense rule stipulated that service academy grads had to serve at least two years of active duty service before applying for a waiver that could allow them to play pro sports. After sitting out a year as a transfer, Gilman was a standout starter each of the past two campaigns for the Irish. Gilman is a smart player who diagnoses quickly and plays with physicality. His athletic testing numbers will determine where he ultimately slots in April. The Draft Network’s Kyle Crabbs ranked Gilman No. 162 overall in a recent big board.

Gilman (5'10/202) is ranked fifth among draft-eligible safeties by Brugler, who praised the senior’s ability to diagnose plays quickly. “Gilman is quick to read run/pass, using his play anticipation to give him a head start,” Brugler wrote. “He fires downhill with authority, always putting himself in the vicinity of the football.” Gilman was highly productive in 2018 for the Fighting Irish, tallying 94 total tackles (three for loss) and three interceptions for a team that reached the College Football Playoff semifinals. He’ll need to be better in defending the deep ball, something that was an issue in the loss to Clemson, and GIlman is projected to be a Day 2 draft prospect.

Gilman (5'11/201) is going to be in the Day 2 conversation next spring, with Day 1 not outside the realm of possibility. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller tabbed him as the No. 6 draft-eligible safety for next spring when he put out his initial 2020 rankings back in May. For the 2018 campaign, Gilman ripped it up to the tune of 94 tackles (3.0 for loss), five passes defensed and a trio of interceptions.