Breakout season should be coming for Packers OLB Rashan Gary

Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Rashan Gary showed real signs of a breakout in the second half of the 2020 NFL season.

From Weeks 10-17, no defensive player had a higher pressure rate than Gary, according to Pro Football Focus.

Entering Year 3, Gary is likely to continue that progress – and he may be ready to establish himself as one of the NFL’s premier young pass rushers.

In 15 games and four starts last year, Gary totaled 34 tackles, five sacks and one pass defensed. Those traditional stats may not jump off the page at a glance, but when you consider he only played 44% of defensive snaps and look at the pressure numbers he posted, especially during the second half of the season, it’s clear he was a highly disruptive player.

Against the Tennessee Titans in Week 16, Gary recorded six pressures. Against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 10 and Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round of the NFC Playoffs, he set and matched his career-high with seven pressures.

Assuming Gary approximates his level of play from the second half of 2020 throughout 2021, his snap count should increase significantly. With Za’Darius Smith aligned on the opposite side of the formation and Kenny Clark commanding double teams on the interior defensive line, it’ll be tough for offenses to focus on Gary. Having Preston Smith to rotate in for Gary or line up opposite him could also be a huge help, assuming he plays more like he did in 2019.

Last year, Gary clearly added to his pass-rush repertoire. As a rookie, he relied almost exclusively on speed-to-power. In 2020, he developed some effective finesse moves.

The NFC Divisional Round playoff game against the Rams was a great showcase of Gary’s progression. In that game, he generated pressure using a bull rush, club/rip, club/swim and cross-chop.

With an expanded role and improved pass-rush technique in 2021, Gary should establish himself as a consistent difference-maker.