Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst defended the rookie season of first-round pick Rashan Gary and expressed excitement about the young pass-rusher’s growth potential as a versatile player similar to Za’Darius Smith.

When a reporter claimed during a question that Gary didn’t contribute much in 2019, Gutekunst quickly offered a rebuttal.

“I disagree with that. I thought he contributed quite a bit,” Gutekunst said Friday. “He was behind two really, really good players. He didn’t see the normal amount of snap time from a first-round draft pick, but when he was in there, I thought he affected the game. His explosiveness off the edge was very evident and affected the passer when he was in there.”

Gary, the 12th overall pick, played in all 16 games but was on the field for just 244 total defensive snaps. He finished the regular season with two sacks and three quarterback hits.

Meanwhile, free agent additions Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith dominated playing time on the edges and combined for 25.5 sacks and 60 quarterback hits.

Gary is blessed with rare physical tools, but he required development coming out of Michigan as an edge rusher and faced a steep learning curve at a new position (from defensive end to 3-4 outside linebacker).

His best pro comparison might still be Cam Jordan, the New Orleans Saints’ defensive end. He had limited college production but also great size and an attractive skill set, and despite a slow start to his NFL career, Jordan developed over time into a dominant rusher. Patience was required.

The Packers hope Gary is headed down a similar path.

Having the Smiths in Green Bay allowed time for development without the pressure to play right away but also limited Gary’s opportunities to get on the field.

Soon, expectations will change. For now, Gary will head into his first professional offseason with another opportunity to improve and continue developing under outside linebackers coach Mike Smith.

“I’m excited for him,” Gutekunst said. “I think he has a great coach, and a couple of great players in front of him to learn from. I’m excited to see what he can do in Year 2.”

Jordan went from one sack and four quarterback hits during his rookie season to eight sacks and 13 quarterback hits in his second year.

Coach Matt LaFleur said the Packers need to find more ways of getting Gary on the field. His versatility will make that task easier as he develops.

Gutekunst envisions Gary growing into a role similar to Za’Darius Smith, who plays on the edge and all over the front in passing situations.

“A lot in Z’s role. I see him coming off the edge, moving inside and playing the three-technique, stand up over the center, he can do a lot of those things,” Gutekunst said. “Like Z when he was young, he’s growing into it. It’s like anything, you want him to master one thing before he moves on to the next.”

Late in 2016, then-rookie defensive lineman Kenny Clark started coming on as a playmaker for the Green Bay Packers defense. He wasn’t yet a dominant player down-to-down, but he flashed the occasional disruptive ability that eventually helped turn him into one of the NFL’s best interior linemen.

First-round pick Rashan Gary could be following a similar path during his rookie season.

Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine said Gary, who had one sack in his first 13 games, is trending in the right direction after playing his best game of the year during Sunday’s win over the Chicago Bears. The Packers’ top pick tallied his second sack of the season late in the first half when he blew past the Bears right tackle and chased down Mitchell Trubisky.

“He did some good things. I was glad to see he got some production as well,” Pettine said Friday. “I just know he’s been working real hard with coach (Mike) Smith, a lot of things outside of his normal drill work, his get-off, his stance, his pad level, just little technical things that he’s trying to clean up and trying to find the right combination for himself.”

Slowly, Gary is positioning himself to be an important player for the Packers defense down the stretch, especially if he keeps gradually improving.

“He’s getting better at the right time,” Pettine said.

Rashan Gary's second sack of the season pic.twitter.com/wZaxsOgLdK

— Jack Wepfer (@jackwepfer) December 18, 2019

Clark did the same as a 21-year-old rookie in 2016. Mostly quiet for the first three months of the year, Clark produced four quarterback hits over the final six regular-season games before breaking out with two quarterback hits and a tackle for loss during the Packers’ playoff win over the New York Giants in the NFC Wildcard Round.

Barring injury, Gary isn’t going to be anything close to a full-time player, but Pettine knows how important he is to the defense’s rotation at outside linebacker, especially considering how often top rusher Za’Darius Smith is used at different spots across the defensive front.

Gary or Kyler Fackrell often come on the field in obvious passing downs.

“It’s good to see him get the production, and he’s a big part of that rotation. Preston (Smith) and Z, we don’t want to put the whole game on them. To have guys like Kyler and Rashan, to have that four-man rotation,” Pettine said.

Gary played 18 snaps against the Bears, tallying three tackles, a sack, a tackle for loss and a quarterback hit.

The Packers are approaching the final stretch of the 2019 season with a chance to clinch the NFC North and a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs. This time of year, teams don’t get better from the outside. They improve from within. And few young players look more capable of taking a step and producing in a meaningful way than Gary, who – despite a slow start – keeps progressing in his development as an edge rusher.

The rookie rusher might not take over games down the stretch, but just a few more flashes – like the flashes Clark provided during the playoff run in 2016 – could make a big difference for the Packers defense as the postseason nears.