Packers 1st round selection, #12 overall: Rashan Gary, DE

[HardRightEdge]

Rashan Gary was my pick in this spot until the Packers signed Z. Smith, players in the same mold. I thought they'd go for a speed rusher as a complement such as Sweat.

Gary is a high ceiling guy. His speed-to-power is pretty rare. Poor college productivity says low floor.

In any case, we can expect some nickel/dime fronts of P. Smith and Gary on the edge, Clark and Z. Smith inside. Or perhaps flipping Smith and Gary.

 

[sjb12681]

Youre probably the fans who wanted to cut Davante Adams. Let Gary play. You gonna be eating your words if he lights it up.

Spoken like a Michigan fan.

Are you by chance?

 

[OldSchool101]

Hard to say. I do know Rashan was widely predicted to go top 20. He also ran the 40 yard dash .10 sec faster than Clay did but at 37 pounds heavier.
One of his strongest assets is his initial burst and first step. 4.58 is stupid fast for a big guy. Don’t try to beat him to the edge.. you’ll lose more often than not.
His major weakness is hand technique so that doesn’t concern me so much because it’s a learned art. They were concerned about him being a bit lighter but he’ll grow into 6’4.75 He’s got a big wingspan also.
I actually had him going in the teens so I’m fine here. Maybe not overly excited but he’s a day 1 starter and our D is going to look completely different up front.

Can’t believe Jones got picked top 6?!, that’s the biggest shocker so far.

 

[sjb12681]

Also, don't get me wrong, I hope I am eating crow here, but as someone who convinced himself about Harrell, Randall, Rollins, spriggs, king, Beigal...

Color me jaded.

 

[LambeauLombardi]

The bad 2018 season is now a complete waste once you include the draft pick. The top pick stinks and Gute can't be trusted. What a ****ing joke!

 

[PackFan2]

All we can do is speculate.

Spoken like a Michigan fan.

Are you by chance?

Nope. WI born and bred. Badger 4 life. Im just saying. Let them play.

 

[sjb12681]

All we can do is speculate.

Nope. WI born and bred. Badger 4 life. Im just saying. Let them play.

Good point, but draft night is for rants. It's been ingrained in us over a decade plus.

Again, I hope I'm wrong and not seeing big picture here... But this reeks of using a pick to take a position we just spent 4 year $$$ on. LOTS of it, with more pressing needs on both sides of the ball with HIGHLY talented players out there.

I agree with another poster... Feels like we got surprised, took highest rated player on board.

Doesn't explain the later trade up, but in a vacuum, this pick feels like a reach. TT, for all it's worth, would have traded out and went back to his spreadsheets.

 

[HardRightEdge]

His major weakness is hand technique so that doesn’t concern me so much because it’s a learned art.

I agree that's his major weakness. With his monstrous 35 3/4" arms and 10 1/2" hands, there's no excuse for not long-arming OTs. Let's hope he was just undercoached.

 

[Dantés]

Gary was a top 5 guy for me when I first watched him. When I heard about his sports agency, I got skittish about his character. But really, we don't know about that sort of thing. The Packers vetted him and clearly felt comfortable with him as a person. They'd know better than me.

On the field, there's a case to be made that he's the single most talented player in this class. And despite the lack of production, it shows when you watch him.

I was watching a Brian Baldinger breakdown on him and he was suggesting that he played hurt in 2018. I had not heard that, but it would explain a lot.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Of the guys left on the board I would have preferred Christian Wilkins, or Sweat if the Packers medical exam was in agreement that he was mis-diagnosed.

 

[gbgary]

i guessed they'd go DL and the Packers scout, at the presser, said he'd go to the olb room first but figured he'd be used "all along the line." i know some didn't like him but i didn't have a feeling either way. good luck to him.

 

[sschind]

Good point, but draft night is for rants. It's been ingrained in us over a decade plus.

Again, I hope I'm wrong and not seeing big picture here... But this reeks of using a pick to take a position we just spent 4 year $$$ on. LOTS of it, with more pressing needs on both sides of the ball with HIGHLY talented players out there.

I agree with another poster... Feels like we got surprised, took highest rated player on board.

Doesn't explain the later trade up, but in a vacuum, this pick feels like a reach. TT, for all it's worth, would have traded out and went back to his spreadsheets.

OH MY GOD. What kind of idiot GM would do a thing like that.

 

[gbgary]

I was watching a Brian Baldinger breakdown on him and he was suggesting that he played hurt in 2018. I had not heard that, but it would explain a lot.

seems like i saw torn labrum mentioned on twitter. don't know if it's true or not.

 

[sjb12681]

OH MY GOD. What kind of idiot GM would do a thing like that.

Highest player isn't always best pick. Many times it's contingent on what your scouts/draft room mocks up that other GM's are doing too.

There were 10-15 players with better/similar impact that fit a real TANGIBLE need that have everything but this guy's ceiling.

Like Harrell, this is a "everything points to this guy being good, but..." Pick.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Gary was a top 5 guy for me when I first watched him. When I heard about his sports agency, I got skittish about his character. But really, we don't know about that sort of thing. The Packers vetted him and clearly felt comfortable with him as a person. They'd know better than me.

On the field, there's a case to be made that he's the single most talented player in this class. And despite the lack of production, it shows when you watch him.

I was watching a Brian Baldinger breakdown on him and he was suggesting that he played hurt in 2018. I had not heard that, but it would explain a lot.

I forgot about the agency business. It bothers me some but not too much. He's hired an agent to do negotiating and it sounds like his mother is handling the back office. I would expect he's just a silent partner bankrolling this thing with his signing bonus. In a way, it's better than bankrolling some brother-in-law's pie in the sky venture, the kind of thing where a lot of NFL money goes to die.

 

[HardRightEdge]

seems like i saw torn labrum mentioned on twitter. don't know if it's true or not.

Gary claims the labrum is a non-issue, "110%". Let's hope this is not a King redux, a guy who was popping his shoulder out of the socket his senior year and hasn't stopped since.

 

[Dantés]

This doesn't necessarily mean anything, but here is how I stacked up the pass rushers after first review back in January:

I've basically gotten through the top edge players at this point. I could probably put in a game or two more on any of them, but I've gotten a gloss at least. My opinions are subject to tweaks with the combine, as I think measurables matter at edge rusher more than most positions.

Nick Bosa: Super good and unrealistic.

Rashan Gary: Everything about Gary is rare. His movement skills, coordination, and explosion at his size are, indeed, freaky. That's a term that's overused in draft season, but it certainly applies to Gary. I'd draft him at #12 to replace Perry in a heartbeat.

Josh Allen: Allen has explosive movement skills as a blitzer and is really impressive in coverage. He could be a versatile weapon in a Pettine defense that likes to disguise. I don't really see skills to be a one-on-one edge rush winner down in and down out. I read about people commenting on his ability to bend, but I haven't seen it. Maybe I haven't found the right games.

Clelin Ferrell: Ferrell's combination of length and power is impressive. He doesn't have the pure speed to race around the outside of an OT, but he gets to the QB in a number of ways. He's more advanced in his approach than most of the edge rushers in this class.

Montez Sweat: Sweat possesses crazy long arms and makes his money with them, but I see nothing on tape to suggest a move to 3-4 OLB in a Pettine defense. He's strictly a down player on tape, and when he can't win with length, he doesn't win much at all. He might be in consideration later on in the draft, but shouldn't be a target at #12.

Jachai Polite: Polite wasn't quite as bad a run defender as I expected based on what I had heard, but he's still too much of a liability in that regard to take as high as the Packers pick. He might be the top guy you want on 3rd and 10, but he'd be relatively easy for an offense like the Rams or Patriots to attack (i.e. teams that run and pass effectively out of the same personnel).

Brian Burns: Burns is an impressive mover and a skilled pass rusher, but he's listed at 6'5" 235 lbs and absolutely looks it. He's rail thin, especially in his lower half. He's going to have to add on a lot of functional weight. He kind of reminds me of Aaron Maybin, but even lighter.

 

[DoURant]

Is Gary the only player so far that hasn’t done an interview with Kolber?

He didn't go to the draft, hard to be interviewed when you aren't there.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

For those down on the Gary pick, might want to be listening to the Gute Presser that is currently taking place. I will edit in a link, when its available.

The Packers absolutely love this guy and what they feel he is going to add to the defense. Of course I wouldn't expect him to say differently, but his rationale is much more convincing then most of the posts I have read here lambasting the pick.

 

[rodell330]

As a Buckeye I could pick this guy apart, but I won’t. Should they have taken him there? His lack of production say no way in heck. They reached big time. The guy is a physical freak! That’s not even a debate...but even with all those tools he didn’t put up big numbers. Idk man, I’m feeling like they drafted based off his physical attributes.

 

[Mondio]

I don't know much about Gary, just going off of what I read he has for physical skills and then see what his production has been in stats, it doesn't get the juices flowing. But I don't really watch MI so who knows.

 

[Dantés]

As a Buckeye I could pick this guy apart, but I won’t. Should they have taken him there? His lack of production say no way in heck. They reached big time. The guy is a physical freak! That’s not even a debate...but even with all those tools he didn’t put up big numbers. Idk man, I’m feeling like they drafted based off his physical attributes.

As a Buckeye, you should know better than most that college production isn't the best measure. Joey Bosa had 5 sacks his final year of college.

 

[brandon2348]

Maybe now some people can understand why I use the word INSANITY!!!!!!!!! because that's what it is down to the truest core of it all. This is a dysfunctional franchise folks that has zero clue what there doing and people have been in denial about it because Aaron Rodgers OVERCAME THE INEPTITUDE. He is getting older and can't anymore. IT'S OVER!!!!

I never expected things to go my way with this draft but I couldnt of imagined or thought up a way the Packers could of screwed this up more then they have. This is a disaster waiting to happen in a big way.

Way to go GUTE. You drafted a physically gifted guy with zero heart and lazy. This is gonna be worse then the Datone Jones pick.

 

[Pugger]

I'd be fine with having drafted Hockenson at 12 given that Oliver, Bush and Williams were gone, but I do not understand why fans would advocate trading up for him.

Yes, I have a feeling the price to move up spots to get Hock was a little too high for Gute and company. Perhaps we'll take Sternberger in the next round?

 

[brandon2348]

Rashan Gary was my pick in this spot until the Packers signed Z. Smith, players in the same mold. I thought they'd go for a speed rusher as a complement such as Sweat.

Gary is a high ceiling guy. His speed-to-power is pretty rare. Poor college productivity says low floor.

In any case, we can expect some nickel/dime fronts of P. Smith and Gary on the edge, Clark and Z. Smith inside. Or perhaps flipping Smith and Gary.

Sounds amazing until the defense is ranked 18th.