Rashan Gary impressing Packers with effort, hustle in training camp

First-round pick Rashan Gary is off to a hot start at Green Bay Packers training camp.

Green Bay Packers first-round pick Rashan Gary was a lightning rod of a draft prospect. Once considered the most sought-after high school recruit in the country, his career at Michigan was generally underwhelming. He didn’t make the kind of impact expected of a five-star player, but his upside was still high enough to warrant being the 12th overall pick.

One of the issues that plagued Gary as a draft prospect was his effort on film. He often disappeared in games that draft analysts assumed he’d dominate, and it wasn’t because he lacked talent. Instead, he often lacked hustle.

It doesn’t appear that will be an issue in the NFL. At least, not after the first few days of training camp practices.

Coach Matt LaFleur met with the media after Sunday’s session and praised Gary’s effort and energy.

“It is early, so we’ll see once we get to the game action, but he’s done a lot of nice things,” the first-year head coach said. “The one thing I’ve really liked that he’s shown is the effort he plays with. The way we define that is if you see a change of speed, a burst, then to max speed and then to the finish. He’s had some good clips to show to the team.”

There’s never been any doubt about Gary’s raw athletic ability. He ran a 4.58 40-yard dash while weighing 277 pounds at the 2019 NFL Combine an added a 38-inch vertical jump for good measure. He’s probably one of the 10 best athletes in the league already.

If he can keep his fire burning hot for four quarters, there’s no telling how dominant he can be for the Packers. It will be up to the coaches to make sure they get the most out of him from down to down, and it’s encouraging that he’s already showing that want-to early in training camp.