Adversity is the word that best describes linebacker DaRon Gilbert’s journey to the NFL. Gilbert already had an uphill battle coming into training camp as an undrafted rookie in a crowded linebacker room. The fact that he only had one year of experience playing the position only added to the challenge.

Gilbert is a Detroit native who played for Brother Rice High School. He began his collegiate career as a safety at Lafayette College, an FCS school in Pennsylvania. After four solid seasons with the Leopards, he transferred to Northern Illinois and switched his position from safety to linebacker. He started all 13 games in his senior season and was also a key contributor on special teams.

Previously in our rookie recap series: Kingsley Eguakun

Preseason

After going undrafted, DaRon Gilbert was given a very modest UDFA contract by the Detroit Lions, containing just $2,500 in guaranteed money.

Gilbert had a quiet training camp but really came onto the scene in the preseason. Against the Giants, he played more snaps than any other linebacker on the roster. Despite playing defensive back for most of his collegiate career, he looked more comfortable as a box defender. He did show off his ball skills in coverage still, and was credited with one pass breakup.

Gilbert’s strength is his ability to read the opposing offense and make plays against the run. He was very quick with his decision making against New York and kept his rookie mistakes to a minimum against the run game. His experience at safety showed when covering tight ends and running backs in the middle of the field in short-yardage passing situations. He finished the game with four tackles and the aforementioned pass breakup.

Unfortunately, Gilbert suffered an injury in a practice following that preseason game and was waived with an injury settlement on August 13.

Regular season

While the nature of the injury settlement is unclear, being waived with such a designation meant Gilbert had a chance to land with another team in 2024, or even return to Detroit.

Gilbert was re-signed to Detroit’s practice squad on December 26. Gilbert was not elevated for any of the Lions’ remaining games. Following the end of the team’s postseason run, he was brought back on a reserve/futures deal, indicating the Lions believe he has promise.

2025 outlook

Gilbert’s primary competition heading into the 2025 season will be fellow Michiganders Anthony Pittman and Trevor Nowaske (both free agents who are likely to come back). While all three are reserve linebackers and have potential to be core special teamers, Gilbert’s versatility may help him stand out from the others. While Pittman and Nowaske can double as a standard inside linebacker or as pass rushers, Gilbert’s strength comes from his history as a safety and his ability to drop back in coverage. His man-to-man skills need some work, but he is excellent as a zone defender in short space.

In order for Gilbert to crack the 53-man roster next season, a few things will need to happen. First, he will need to stay healthy. His injury prevented him from playing in two preseason games and being on an NFL roster for over four months. That is vital experience for an undrafted rookie that he has not acquired. Next, he will need to add some bulk. Listed at 6-foot-1 and 218 pounds, he is the lightest player that the team has at the position. While this may help him with his skills in coverage, he will still need to put on some weight to successfully play linebacker at the NFL level.