A three-year Illinois starter and Manteno, Illinois native who turned heads at his pro day after being passed over for a combine invite.
Josh Gesky spent three seasons anchoring the interior of Illinois' offensive line and earned All-Big Ten recognition each year. He went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft but signed with the Packers after a pro day performance that outpaced several combine invitees at his position.
Path to the league
A Manteno, Illinois native, Gesky entered the Illinois program as a three-star recruit in the 2021 class and worked his way into the starting lineup at guard by his sophomore season. He was not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, but a strong pro day performance helped his draft stock heading into 2026.
Career highlights
Gesky earned All-Big Ten honors in each of his final three seasons as a starting guard at Illinois. At his pro day, he ran a 40-yard dash between 4.94 and 5.00 seconds, posted a 33-inch vertical leap, and put up 30 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press, numbers that would have ranked among the top performers at his position at the combine.
2025 season recap
Gesky closed out his Illinois career in 2025 as a third-year starter at guard, earning All-Big Ten honors for the third straight season. He went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft and signed with the Green Bay Packers as a free agent, entering a competition for a spot on the interior offensive line.
Sources
- ESPN: Josh Gesky
- Bleacher Report: NFL Draft 2026 Scouting Report for Illinois IOL Josh Gesky
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Guard
- Group
- offense
- College
- Illinois
- Hometown
- Manteno, IL, USA
- Age
- 23
- Status
- active
