Gary declares himself best in draft class
INDIANAPOLIS – Rashan Gary says it’s not a matter of opinion.
In his fact.
“(I want teams to know) that I’m the best player in this draft,” the former Michigan defensive end said last week at the NFL combine. “Offensively. Defensively.
“Period.”
Asked minutes later why he thinks he’s the draft’s best player, Gary doubled down.
“Why do I think, or why do I know?” he responded rhetorically.
Gary didn’t have a great 2018 season with just 31⁄2 sacks, and he appeared to coast at times with the draft on his mind.
But the former Michigan defensive end came to the combine last week in Indianapolis as one of the draft’s most intriguing prospects.
Word about Gary’s athleticism for a player his size (he measured 6-4, 277 pounds last week) has been attached to his name since the latter half of his days as a high school player in New Jersey.
Gary ultimately wound up as the No. 1-ranked recruit in the 2016 class, eventually picking Michigan.
Whether or not he lived up to that billing during his three years in Ann Arbor is something that depends on who you ask. He spent his first season as a backup defensive end behind eventual draft picks Chris Wormley and Taco Charlton. As a sophomore, a full-time starter, Gary put up a very productive season with 66 tackles (12 for a loss) and six sacks.
Much about what Michigan asked him to do as an anchor defensive end, though, didn’t show up in box score statistics.
Gary was an edge setter as much as he was a pass rusher. He was responsible for owning his gap and creating space for players behind him. All of that, for the most part, showed mind, it’s already a up on film in 2017.
Last year, though, Gary dealt with a shoulder injury throughout Michigan’s 2018 season. It caused him to miss three full games and parts of two others. In the end, Gary finished his Michigan career with 101⁄2 sacks and 24 tackles for loss.
Some of the narrative surrounding Gary last week was that he’s more of an athlete than a football player at this point in his career. He says it’s not his problem to worry about such things.
“That’s for you guys to decide,” Gary says. “I’m working every day to be the best player I can. I know what I’m capable of. The team that gets me is going to see it.
“My best years of football are still to come. I’m still learning the game and I can’t wait.”
As an athlete, Gary is almost universally viewed as a player with top-10 potential in this draft. He put up 26 reps of 225 pounds during strength tests, a number that would’ve been two off the lead for defensive ends last season.
Gary lived up to his billing as a big-time athlete with a 4.58second 40-yard dash time, the fastest number by any defensive lineman in this year’s event.
Gary also had the best vertical jump by a defensive lineman with 38 inches. His broad jump of 120 inches was second only to Eastern Michigan’s Maxx Crosby.
A versatile athlete, some teams project Gary as an interior defensive lineman in the NFL while others are intrigued by his potential off the edge. Gary says he met with a slew of teams, including the Raiders, Bills Giants and Jets. All of those teams have top 10 draft choices.
With his strong testing, his stock could soar.
“I still view him as a top-10 player, and it wouldn’t shock me if he was the second pick in the draft,” NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said recently. “There’s tremendous upside for him.
“From a skill-set standpoint, I think the ceiling for him is like a Cam Jordan. Could be one of the better defensive ends in the NFL . ... I like him better on the edge.”
As for Gary’s time at Michigan, nothing about the way he finished his career went according to plan. Gary played hurt for most of his junior season. He ultimately decided to sit out Michigan’s appearance in the Peach Bowl, declaring for the NFL draft shortly after a humbling loss at Ohio State in late November.
Gary said he was still banged up after the Ohio State game, but his decision to move on from Michigan before the bowl game was mostly about what he believed was the best thing for his family.
And choice.
“That decision, not playing the bowl game, was to give my mom, my sister and two nephews a better life. I weighed the pros and the cons,” Gary said. “Man, it was hard. I remember walking with, talking with coach (Jim) Harbaugh, coach (Don) Brown and coach (Greg) Mattison with tears running out of my eyes.
“But they understood it. They agreed with my decision and told me to go accomplish my dream.” it was far from an easy