Greg Gaines

TRANSACTIONS

Selected by the Rams in the fourth round (134th overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft (4/27/18).

NFL Career:

• Has appeared in 43 regular season games (13 starts) and recorded 86 tackles (43 solo), 6.5 sacks and one fumble recovery.
• Had a breakout 2021 season with 13 starts, more than 950 snaps played, 55 tackles, 4.5 sacks, five tackles for loss, 14 quarterback hits and 34 pressures (including postseason).
• Started all four playoff games leading up to the Rams' Super Bowl victory and tallied 12 tackles (three solo), 0.5 sacks and two passes defended in the postseason.
• Matched his career-high with five QB pressures in the Super Bowl LVI victory against the Bengals.
• Recorded a career-high seven tackles (five solo) and 1.0 sack in Green Bay for a Week 12 matchup against the Packers.
• Tallied his first sack in a Week 12 game against Baltimore on Monday Night Football in 2019.
• Made his NFL debut during a Week 2 matchup against the Saints in 2019. 

College

Gaines was the winner of the 2018 Morris Trophy given to the top defensive lineman in the Pac-12. During his time at Washington, he played in 54 games and totaled 148 tackles (74 solo), 9.5 sacks, 20.5 tackles for loss, four passes defensed, one fumble recovery and one interception. As a senior in 2018, Gaines started all 14 games and finished with a career-high 55 tackles (25 solo), matched a single-season best 3.5 sacks and recorded his first interception. He also tied his career-high with 10 tackles, including two TFLs and 1.0 sack in a game against California. He was the recipient of the UL. Wait Rising Defensive Lineman of the Year award at UW for three consecutive years. As a Junior in 2017, Gaines was named to the academic All-Pac-12 Second-Team and started in all 13 games. He also earned Second-Team All-Pac-12 honors. Gaines started all 14 games as a sophomore in 2016. He played in all 13 games (six starts) as a redshirt freshman in 2015. 

Personal

Gaines earned MVP of the Freeway League and first-team All-CIF Southern Section Southwest Division on the defensive line following his senior high school season in 2013. He also earned First-Team All-County from the Orange County Register and All-Area honors from the Whittier Daily News. Gaines would even play running back in short-yardage situations at La Habra. As a senior, he helped the Highlanders to a 10-2 record and guided them to the second round of the CIF Southern Section Southwest Division playoffs. In 2012, he was voted as the Whitter Daily News area Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-Southwest Division. Gaines started as a sophmore and was playing on varsity as a freshman. Following high school, Gaines was ranked by ESPN as the no. 42 recruit in California and the no. 44 defensive tackle in the country. He also won Free Way League Championships in the shot and discus as a junior on the track team in 2013.