FAU is losing another key part of their defense, as senior cornerback Zyon Gilbert announced he is declaring for the 2022 NFL Draft via his Twitter account Tuesday morning. 

Gilbert had a long career at FAU. He played in 59 games over five seasons, meaning he played in over 25% of the program’s games. 

In the 2021 season, Gilbert collected 50 total tackles and two interceptions and earned a C-USA All-Conference Honorable Mention. Over his entire career at FAU, he accounted for 247 total tackles and five interceptions.

Gilbert also finishes his FAU career with two C-USA Conference Championships and Boca Raton Bowl wins in the 2017 and 2019 seasons.

The six-foot-one-inch senior is 182 pounds and in a draft class loaded with talent at cornerback, but his experience and numbers may be enough to earn him a spot in the late rounds. 

Gilbert’s departure comes in a week full of change for the entire program. He becomes the third FAU player to declare for the 2022 NFL Draft along with linebacker Caliph Brice and wide receiver Brandon Robinson, who both announced their decisions last week. 

The 2022 NFL Draft will be held from April 28 through April 30 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., and it will be broadcast on ESPN.

Cameron Priester is a staff writer for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or tweet him @PriesterCameron.