Packer Central

Get to Know Packers Undrafted Free Agent WR Bailey Gaither

Bailey Gaither was a big-play receiver at San Jose State both before and after a torn Achilles.

Bill Huber

GREEN BAY, Wis. – It took six years but Bailey Gaither made it to the NFL.

Gaither suffered a torn Achilles early in the 2018 season. He bounced back to catch 52 passes for 812 yards and six touchdowns in 2019. During the COVID-abbreviated 2020 season, he caught 41 passes for 725 yards and four touchdowns in only seven games to earn first-team all-conference.

He went undrafted but signed with the Green Bay Packers.

“Coming back from an Achilles injury, there’s no guarantees,” Gaither told The San Luis Obispo Tribune. “I remember everybody was telling me that you’re never going to be the same again. And I could have taken that and just folded. But I took that and I felt like I had a lot to prove. I got over trying to prove it to everybody else. I’m just trying to prove it to myself now.”

For his career, he caught 135 passes for 2,227 yards and 18 touchdowns. In school history he’s second in receiving touchdowns and fourth in receiving yards. He caught a touchdown in a school-record six consecutive games. At pro day, he measured 6-foot and 188 pounds and ran his 40 in 4.45 seconds. That speed shows in his career average of 16.5 yards per reception.

He wasn’t drafted – no San Jose State receiver has been drafted since James Jones by the Packers in the third round in 2007 – but will get a shot in a Packers receiver corps with some long-term uncertainty. There are no receivers under contract in 2022 with more than five career catches.

Why he’s got a chance with the Packers: Receiver was one of the bigger needs entering the draft, with zero players with more than five NFL receptions on the roster in 2022. Green Bay drafted Amari Rodgers in the third round but Gaither is the only other significant addition. Even if he doesn’t stick this year, a year of fine-tuning on the practice squad could put him in position in 2022.

Here’s a snippet from his scouting report at Pro Football Network: An underrated receiver who was very productive at the college level. Quickly releases off the line of scrimmage, immediately gets to top speed, and uses his hands to separate from defenders. Sells routes, extends his hands to offer the quarterback a target, and consistently makes the reception away from his frame.

The Packers Selected Nine Players in the NFL Draft

First round: Georgia CB Eric Stokes

More Stokes: Blown away by more than 40 time

Second round: Ohio State C Josh Myers

More Myers: Stands tall in strong center class

Third round: Clemson WR Amari Rodgers

More Rodgers: Gutekunst loses trade but wins player he coveted

Fourth round: Ole Miss OL Royce Newman

Fifth round: Florida DT Tedarrell Slaton

Fifth round: Appalachian State CB Shemar Jean-Charles

Sixth round: Wisconsin OL Cole Van Lanen

Sixth round: Boston College LB Isaiah McDuffie

Seventh round: Mississippi State RB Kylin Hill

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Bill Huber
BILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packers On SI, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: packwriter2002@yahoo.com History: Huber took over Packer Central in August 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillHuberNFL Background: Huber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he played on the football team, in 1995. He worked in newspapers in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Shawano before working at The Green Bay News-Chronicle and Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1998 through 2008. With The News-Chronicle, he won several awards for his commentaries and page design. In 2008, he took over as editor of Packer Report Magazine, which was founded by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, and PackerReport.com. In 2019, he took over the new Sports Illustrated site Packer Central, which he has grown into one of the largest sites in the Sports Illustrated Media Group.

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