The Green Bay Packers are expected to sign Illinois offensive lineman Josh Gesky as an undrafted free agent following the 2026 NFL draft.
Like receiver J. Michael Sturdivant, Gesky was viewed as a draftable prospect by many — Dane Brugler of The Athletic ranked Gesky as the 23rd best guard in the class with a seventh-round grade. The Packers got a head start on recruiting Gesky, who came to Green Bay as a pre-draft visitor.
Gesky is a three-time All-Big Ten pick who made 32 starts at left guard and two starts at right guard for Illinois. Per PFF, Gesky played 2,200 snaps over four seasons. In 2025, he gave up only one sack and 12 total pressures while committing one penalty across 849 snaps. His overall grade was 72.5, a career best.
While a veteran lineman from the Big Ten, Gesky really put his name on the map with a dominant pro day workout. At 6-5 and 307 pounds, the 23-year-old ran the 40-yard dash in 5.03 seconds, did 30 reps on the bench press, hit 33″ in the vertical leap, covered 9-1 in the broad jump and finished the short shuttle in 4.95 seconds and the three-cone in 8.06 seconds. His Relative Athletic Score is 9.31 out of 10.0, thanks to elite size, explosion and speed metrics.
What draft experts said about the Packers’ undrafted free agent offensive lineman:
Dane Brugler, The Athletic
A three-star recruit, he received heavy Ivy League interest, including offers from Columbia, Harvard and Princeton, but he opted to stay close to home and play in the Big Ten. He worked his way into the Illini’s starting lineup as a sophomore and earned All-Big Ten honors each of the past three seasons. Gesky enrolled at 260 pounds, played at around 330 pounds in 2025 and weighed under 310 pounds for his pro day — he has a big-boned frame that he can fill out or make leaner, depending on what is needed. He was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 6, but scouts say he manages it well with the staff (always has a water or Gatorade on him). Though his redirect skills are marginal, he has adequate feet and eager hands to set up shop and get into a punch-ready position. He is a coach-pleaser, with a blue-collar mindset as a worker. Overall, Gesky can do a better job with his flexibility to create leverage, but his natural strength and torque allow him to cover up in the run game or anchor in pass pro. His pro-day workout created a buzz among scouts.
Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
Gesky is a 34-game starter with adequate size, strength and length. He fails to enter run blocks with ideal pad level to leverage and displace opponents. He’s more of a positional occupier at the point. He sees pressure clearly near the line of scrimmage and is consistent with his blitz/twist pickups. He’s an average reactive athlete when beaten and needs to improve the efficiency of his punch. There are physical tools to work with, but Gesky appears to have a limited ceiling.
Brandon Thorn, B/R Scouting Department
Josh Gesky is a broad-framed, physical and alert guard prospect with solid play strength. He covers up and widens down linemen effectively on combinations, straining through contact with enough burst to intersect backers on climbs. Gesky flashes jolt in his punch, but too often catches blocks and lacks the recovery ability to consistently retake leverage and get out of compromised positions. He projects as a quality interior backup with the ability to step in and hold up at guard in a pinch.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: What draft experts said about Packers UDFA offensive lineman Josh Gesky
Reporting by Zach Kruse, Packers Wire / Packers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
