Toledo tight end/fullback Reggie Gilliam did not hear his name called in the 2020 NFL Draft, but he told The Blade he will be signing as an undrafted free agent with the Buffalo Bills.
While there was an initial sense of disappointment in not getting drafted, Gilliam believes he may have fallen into a really good situation on a team that is trending in the right direction after making the playoffs last season.
“I talked about that with a Bills coach and he was saying, 'I know it's disappointing to not get drafted, but this is one of those things where for your position it's better for you because you get to choose where you can go',” Gilliam said. “You don't get put into a situation where you may not play or you go on the practice squad for a couple years. You are coming in now and we are expecting you to compete for a spot and possibly be on the field your first season. It was disappointing at first, but it's kind of a blessing in disguise because I ended up getting a great deal and I'm going to a place where they really want me there.”
Saturday was a constant ebb and flow of emotion for Gilliam as he started the day optimistic about being drafted and then was left to hope for a free agent deal.
“I woke up this morning with a lot of different teams interested,” Gilliam said. “As the draft went on I wasn't having my name called. And then the last round there I wasn’t really getting any calls on potential free agent deals so I was starting to get a little nervous. Then about the end of the draft, the Bills called my agent and checked in on me. Then I told my agent if they were to make an offer that I would like to go with them. Then we got a deal done after the draft was over.”
Gilliam, a former walk-on at Toledo, was a second-team All-Mid-American Conference performer as a junior in 2018. That season, Gilliam set a single-season Toledo record by blocking four kicks on special teams.
Known more for his punishing blocking, Gilliam finished his career with 18 catches for 153 yards and three receiving touchdowns. He was used at the tight end position and as an H-back at Toledo. He will likely play fullback in the NFL and he feels like he would be able to contribute on special teams right away.
Gilliam likens the opportunity he has to prove himself with the Bills to the similar chance he had when he first came to Toledo as a lightly recruited walk on.
“It's the exact same thing I did at Toledo coming from a small school in Columbus,” Gilliam said. “I had to walk on at Toledo and didn't get much love from Toledo at first. But I made a name for myself and it ended up being a great place for me. I'm expecting to do the same thing in Buffalo.”
With Gilliam going undrafted, it was the first time in four years that a Toledo player was not selected in the draft. Diontae Johnson and Ka'dar Hollman were picked in 2019, Logan Woodside in 2018, and Kareem Hunt, Michael Roberts, and Treyvon Hester in 2017.
The Bills appear to be a team on the rise and with Tom Brady leaving the New England Patriots and the AFC East, Buffalo appears set up for consistent success.
“I've been talking to them for a while,” Gilliam said. “They've been really nice in trying to bring me into the program. They've had their arms open for me. To be with a team that is on the way up, I'm very excited about my opportunity. They were 10-6 last year and made the playoffs and had a good run. I like the direction the team is going in and I'm excited to be a part of the organization.”
First Published April 25, 2020, 11:33 p.m.
