The consistency of energy, effort and development over his first two seasons in the NFL has the Green Bay Packers exceedingly confident in edge rusher Rashan Gary’s potential to be a star.
Coach Matt LaFleur sounds certain Gary will be an impact contributor for the Packers, both in 2021 and long-term.
“He’s going to be a big-time player for us, and I think he’s going to be a big-time player in this league for a really long time,” LaFleur said Thursday.
LaFleur said few players on the defensive side have improved as much as Gary since the Packers took him with the 12th overall pick in the 2019 draft. Everything started coming together for him to end last season when he registered 28 pressures and a handful of sacks in a rotational role over the final eight games of 2020.
Gary said one of his goals is “to be an impact player” in the NFL.
LaFleur said Gary gives “tremendous energy and effort on every play” and his work ethic has allowed for rapid development while working with outside linebackers coach Mike Smith.
“Rashan is working hard to develop multiple moves coming off the edge, but one thing that definitely jumps out, and you see every practice, every game, is just the effort he plays with,” LaFleur said.
The 2021 season is setting up to be a breakout season for Gary, who finished as the NFL’s ninth-most disruptive player by Next Gen Stats’ disruption rate last season despite rushing only 259 times. With more opportunities and a more diverse toolset as a rusher, Gary’s next step in his ascension could be producing at a high level in a bigger role with continued efficiency as a rusher and even more impact plays against both the pass and run.
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