Green Bay Packers: Grading the Rashan Gary pick at 12
The Green Bay Packers thought about moving down. They ended up sticking at number 12 overall, and they took Michigan edge rusher Rashan Gary.
With the 12th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers select Michigan Edge rusher, Rashan Gary. Gary came into college as the number one recruit in the country, and he had a ton of hype behind him. The problem with him was that he was never able to turn that into consistent production. He turned in just 9.5 sacks in 34 career games. For comparison, Florida State Edge rusher Brian Burns, who was still on the board, had 10 sacks last season alone.
Gary had a great combine, but he always showed off his athleticism. The issue comes down to production. Anyone can be an athlete, but it doesn’t matter if they can’t turn in solid production. Gary also has a torn labrum in his shoulder that’s going to cause some people, including myself, to take a long hard look at. It’s likely that the Green Bay Packers’ doctors cleared him medically or they wouldn’t have drafted him, but it’s still something to make you flinch even more after this pick.
Gary has all the talent in the world, and he has the perfect player on the roster to learn from in the form of Za’Darius Smith. He can play inside or outside on the edge like he did at Michigan. If he’s able to capture his potential, he could be one of the biggest steals in this draft class. The hardest part for fans analysts to get over will be seeing players like Burns, Montez Sweat and Jawaan Taylor still on the board getting passed over.
Gary has top 10 talent, and he gives the Packers an upgrade on the defensive side of the ball. He has the athleticism to play wherever defensive coordinator Mike Pettine needs him. He also won’t be forced to start right away if he needs to grow into that role. They can trot him out on their second unit with Kyler Fackrell, while Reggie Gilbert can still develop his moves even further.
General Manager Brian Gutekunst has pushed all the right buttons since he took over last season. He traded down and nabbed an extra draft pick along with a stud cornerback. He did a ton of work to make this selection, and he grabbed the guy that he thought was the best available on his board. The main thing that pushes this grade down is seeing what other players are on the board. However, if Gutekunst graded guys differently than the rest of us, who are we to doubt him?
Next. Packers take a chance on Rashan Gary. dark
Let’s have some faith in Gutekunst and the team’s coaching staff. They can develop Gary into a terror off the edge that can also cause some inside pressure. If they are able to do that, this pick is going to be a slam dunk when we look back on it in five years. However, if Gary continues to be all flash with no substance like he was in college, the confused faces will grow in number.