If we rewind back to draft night in April, the Green Bay Packers were on the clock with the 12th overall pick. And while we never want to see the Packers drafting that high, there was still plenty of excitement given the caliber of player that would be coming to Green Bay for the 2019 season. A favorite of many Packer fans was edge-rusher Brian Burns who was still available at that time, as was tackle Andre Dillard. Yet to the surprise of many, Green Bay would select Rashan Gary from Michigan. 
Even with all of the mock drafts that take place before draft night, very few had Gary landing in Green Bay. Not to mention that he didn't have the gaudy numbers that many top prospects put up in college and there were some that questioned his effort down in and down out. But to that claim, it only takes watching a snap or two of Gary to know that statement is simply false. Yet with that said, many fans did not like the selection and many in the media questioned it. 
However, what the outside world thought didn't much matter because the Green Bay Packers loved Gary, especially outside linebackers coach Mike Smith who gave the young pass-rusher a glowing review shortly after OTAs had began:
"It's unbeliveable. A guy that size and that speed and that athleticism, I've never seen it. I've been in the league 11 years," Smith would also add , "At Kansas City, where I was at before here, they had Dee Ford - he's small, great get off - and we had Justin Houston, who's a big, strong guy. You get a guy like Gary that's both of them. When you're a tackle in this league, and you've got (to deal with) a guy that's got a get-off and speed and you're strong and you're powerful, it's a dangerous combination. We've just got to learn how to use those tools."
And as Smith put it, learning how to use those tools is going to be the key to Gary's success because physically he has everything you would want in an NFL edge-rusher. But to maximize that kind of potential it takes some time and there are aspects of the outside linebacker position at the NFL level that Gary needed to learn. Which obviously the Packers knew prior to drafting him. So this summer during training camp and the preseason, defensive coordinator Mike Pettine threw everything about the outside linebacker position at Gary, knowing full well they would rein it in and put him positions to succeed once the regular season began:
"Just teaching him the outside linebacker position, we knew that he was going to be a little bit of a work in progress. We're teaching him all of it," Pettine would say . "There are some things he's doing now he won't be doing in the regular season. As we get closer, we'll hone that down and get him in positions where he's ready to excel."
Through the first month of the regular season we saw Gary get the first sack of his career against the Denver Broncos but other than that his stat sheet was relatively empty and he wasn't necessarily jumping off the screen either. Which as Smith and Pettine had alluded to over the summer, was to be expected to some degree. So with Gary having a quiet start to his NFL career, Smith had a message for him prior to Green Bay's Monday Night matchup with Detroit, and in short, he wanted Gary to play more freely:
"My big thing with Gary is his self-confidence," said Smith in his weekly press conference . "Not worrying about making a mistake as much as making a big play. Go for the big play. You can't be half-pregnant. I think at times, he's so worried about making a mistake."
Well, Gary must have taken those words to heart, because over the next few games he would slowly start having more success. By the time the Packers had played their 10th game of the season, Gary had nine total pressures, six solo tackles, and a sack. Certainly not eye-popping numbers by any means but he was making progress. According to Pro Football Focus , from week 6 to week 10, Gary was the Packers' most improved defensive player as his overall grade jumped 27.3 points during that span. 
From his knowledge of the defense to his overall technique, Gary was making strides in the right direction and eventually the production was going to follow. And it looks like over the last three weeks, we are at that point.
Against Washington, Chicago, and Minnesota, Gary has recorded five total pressures, with one sack and eight total tackles, two of which have been for a loss. He also put together the best game of his short career when facing the Bears as he totaled three tackles, one of which was for a loss, along with a sack. Oh, and did I mention that he did all of that with just 46 total defensive snaps over the last three games? Both as a pass-rusher and as a run defender, Gary is getting better at just the right time for this Green Bay Packers team. 
At least for the time being, Rashan Gary is likely to remain a hot-button topic amongst the Packer faithful given his low snap count - just over 15 per game  - and overall production at this point in the season. However, it is clear that Green Bay has a plan for Gary and with Za'Darius Smith and Preston Smith ahead of him on the depth chart, as first year player, Gary doesn't have to be "the guy" right away. Instead, the Packers have the opportunity to bring him along slowy, which appears to working and could very well make him even better in the long run. Of course, in a perfect world the first round draft pick would step on the field and be a one man wrecking crew from Day 1, but Green Bay has the luxury to take their time with Gary's development and it is paying off.
Filed Under:[URL=/blog/category/featured" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="]Featured[/URL][URL=/blog/category/paul-bretl" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="]Paul Bretl[/URL][URL=/blog/category/columns-and-features" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="]Columns and Features[/URL]---------------------
Born and raised in Green Bay, WI and I still call it home. After my family, watching the Packers, sharing my opinions on the team through my writing and interacting with other fans is my greatest passion. You can find me on Twitter at @Paul_Bretl .

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CheeseheadTV wrote:

I don’t know that I necessarily agree with the headline “luxury that is paying off.” With the number of needs at various positions, I continue to believe that the pick could’ve been used better elsewhere.

Has the kid made progress, absolutely!

I want to see him more on the field, not just in past rush situations. At this point in the season, I would really like to see him be able to give Za’Darius Smith a blow now and again. Not just when we move Smith inside.

Originally Posted by: KRK 

I noticed him a couple of times in the Vikings game. He’s definitely quick off the ball, that’s for sure. I’d like to see a lot more of him, maybe with Za’Darius lined up inside because I don’t want either of the Smiths off of the field.

Originally Posted by: go.pack.go. 

You don't draft for need. That's what failure teams do. You draft the best available player on your board.

Z was out there for 47 out of 54 snaps. Gary was on the field for those plays. When Z is giving everything he's got, he has to take a break from time to time. He doesn't want to do it while on the field.

1. GBGUY: I apologize for using that term....it was prevalent back in my day and did not have the connotation it does today.....you know back when buggy whips and outhouses were still in daily use. In the future, I will use "rest" or "break".

2.. Z2C piously and passionately pontificated: That's BS. Almost everyone drafts for need other than the first round...and many times there too. Most teams skew their player rankings based on need. They just feed us the line "he was the top player on the board." Only teams that totally suck or are absolutely loaded take the top player on the board, sans need.

3. Now back to the topic of the thread...WPR wemarked: An excellent point. I want to see Gary in for Z Smith and Fackrell in for P Smith (though probably not at the same time) to give these guys a BREAK for a series or two.

Originally Posted by: KRK 

your turn, KRK