Gary Cracks NFL Top-100 List

The NFL Top 100 list continued on Friday, and Rashan Gary became Green Bay's first member on the list, coming in at No. 50. He's looking for more as the Packers try to get over the hump and into the Super Bowl.

Green Bay Packers linebacker Rashan Gary (52) is shown during the fourth quarter of their regular season opening game Sunday, September 10, 2023 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill. The Green Bay Packers beat the Chicago Bears 38-20.Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal

Green Bay Packers training camp is in full swing. That usually means the end of the season of lists that dominate the dead period when there is no football.

There is one major list left to be completed. The NFL Top 100 that airs on NFL Network and NFL+.

The Packers had their first appearance on the list, with Rashan Gary coming in as the NFL’s 50th-best player, according to his peers.

50. Rashan Gary #NFLTop100 pic.twitter.com/nuJVZEHXXB

— NFL (@NFL) July 27, 2024

Gary, who signed a four-year contract extension last year, is one of the team’s best players on defense, and followed an unusual path to stardom.

The Packers selected him with the 12th pick of the 2019 NFL Draft after signing two big free agents at his position.

Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith were both set to shoulder the load as Brian Gutekunst attempted to remake his defense.

Gary spent most of his rookie season as the team’s fourth edge rusher behind both Smiths and Kyler Fackrell.

Questions about whether the Packers wasted a draft pick got even louder. Gary was on the bench while both Smiths starred. How was Gary going to get onto the field?

Gary’s ascension began from there. He has been more than just on the field. He has become one of the pillars of Green Bay’s defense.  

Despite his new contract, Gary had a quiet finish to his 2023 season. He had a huge performance in a signature win against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving. Gary had three sacks and a forced fumble that Jonathan Owens returned for a touchdown as the Packers secured a 29-22 upset win in Detroit.

From there, Gary would only bring down the quarterback one more time, and it was a shared sack.

Gary is looking to be more impactful in his first season under defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.

He’s returning to his roots as a more traditional 4-3 defensive end, a position he thrived in at Michigan under then-defensive coordinator Don Brown.

"I feel more explosive coming out of a three-point stance,” Gary said this week.

“Sometimes when you’re in a two-point stance, you can create more false steps. With the hand in the dirt, the false steps are taken away.”

With the false steps being taken away, there are offensive linemen in camp wishing they could false start when lined up across from Gary.

Gary has been dominant in the early goings of training camp. Whether it’s Rasheed Walker, Andre Dillard or Kadeem Telfort, they’ve been no match for Gary. Gary racked up two ,sacks in a red zone period in Friday’s practice. This came after wrecking the team’s offense, mainly against Andre Dillard earlier in the week, which included three sacks in four plays.

Until the pads come on, those things can be taken with a grain of salt, but Gary’s start has his coach encouraged.

“Yeah, he can be that type of player. It’s just to challenge him to keep on bringing it each and every play. He is a tone-setter, no question about it.” Matt LaFleur said earlier this week.

“We’re lucky to have a guy like that. I think the other guys around him complement him pretty well, too, so I feel really confident that we have a lot of guys that are capable of getting after the quarterback. We’ve just got to continue to push and get better every day.”

Gary will be looking to build on his 2023 season where he’s a full year removed from a torn ACL that could have derailed his career.

While he is still looking for his first 10-sack season, he ranked third in pass-rush win rate in 2021, eighth in 2022 and 14th in 2023, according to PFF.

Gary knows he needs to do more as the Packers’ defense looks to become a championship-level unit, something that has eluded it for far too long. He’s confident the new defense under Hafley will help them find that level.

"Just being able to pin our ears back, not think and fly around,” Gary said. “It’s been fun so far the first two days.”

The list will conclude this weekend, and other candidates to make it from Green Bay include cornerback Jaire Alexander, defensive lineman Kenny Clark and quarterback Jordan Love.

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What happened at #Packers training camp today?

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If you weren't there, here's everything you need to know, including the Play of the Day, Player of the Day, lineup notes and much more. ⬇️https://t.co/mP9a6X7lR1

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) July 26, 2024

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