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Notre Dame SAF Alohi Gilman had private visits set up w/ the #Texans, #Saints, #Raiders, #Patriots & #Cardinals. COVID-19 canceled all of them.
Since then, he's held pre-draft meetings over FaceTime w/ the #Bengals, #Jaguars, #Cardinals, #Texans, #Raiders, #Titans & #Patriots.
— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) April 7, 2020
The New Orleans Saints showed an early interest in one of the busiest prospects in this year’s NFL draft class, scheduling a private visit with Notre Dame safety Alohi Gilman before travel restrictions related to the novel coronavirus prohibited those sort of face-to-face meetings.
Justin Melo over at Draft Wire reported that the Saints were one of five different teams to pencil Gilman in for a private visit; of that group, only the Saints have yet to circle back and speak with Gilman over a video chat service like FaceTime or Zoom. In total, he’s virtually met with seven different teams. There are still two weeks left before the 2020 draft kicks off, so the Saints (and other teams around the league) have plenty of time to reach out to Gilman’s camp for an interview, if they choose.
But who is he? The 5-foot-10, 201-pounder transferred from the Naval Academy after starting there in 2016, redshirting the 2017 season with the Irish. He earned a starting gig in 2018 and 2019, ending his college career with a combined 244 tackles (140 solo) between his stops with two different programs. He created splash all over the field through 11 tackles for loss (including a sack), three interceptions and a dozen passes defensed, five forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries (returning one for a defensive touchdown in his freshman year with Navy).
Impressive as those numbers may be, Gilman tested like a pedestrian athlete by NFL standards. He doesn’t carry a very large frame or all-world movement skills (timing the 40-yard dash in 4.60 seconds flat), though he performed well in the three-cone drill (6.81 seconds). He’s a player who wins with his deep understanding of the game and great instincts rather than his physical tools. Keep an eye out for him during the second day of this year’s draft, in rounds two and three.
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