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Rashan Gary has long been considered a physical freak. The Michigan defensive end made Bruce Feldman’s list of “football freaks” prior to the 2018 college football season. He has lived up to the reputation this weekend at the NFL Scouting Combine.
The Paramus (N.J.) native measured in at 6-foot-4, 277 pounds, with 9 5/8-inch hands and 34 1/8-inch arms. His elite physique has led to solid, if unspectacular, numbers on the playing field. In 3 seasons in Ann Arbor, he totaled 119 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 23 TFLs and one forced fumble. A part of this was constant double, and sometimes even triple, teams.
The former 5-star and No. 1 player in the country in the 2016 class chose Michigan over overtures from the elite of Division 1 football, including Clemson and Southern Cal.
During 3 seasons playing under Jim Harbaugh, Rashan Gary and Michigan went 28-11, including a pair of 10-win seasons. He sat a number of games last season due to a lingering hip pointer injury, which limited his effectiveness as the Wolverines slipped late last fall.
He entered Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis this weekend already atop many team’s draft boards. Let’s take a look at his results, as well as potential landing spots.
Rashan Gary Latest NFL Combine Results
He blazed to a 4.61 in the 40-yard dash (unofficial 4.59), which tops all defensive linemen. The next closest were Eastern Michigan’s Maxx Crosby (4.64) and Charleston’s John Cominsky (4.66).
His bench press mark of 26 reps ranked in the middle of the pack, behind rival Ohio State edge rusher Nick Bosa’s 29. A pair of Clemson linemen in Dexter Lawrence of Albert Huggins led the position with 36 and 35, respectively. Lawrence, for what it’s worth, had to sit the 2019 National Championship Game due to testing positive for banned substances.
He also jumped 38 inches on the vertical and 120 inches on the broad. He sprinted to a 7.26-second time on the 3 Cone Drill, and a 4.29-second mark on the 20-yard shuttle.
Rashan Gary’s NFL Draft Stock
Gary holds a high opinion of himself, claiming he’s the “best player in the draft. Offensively and defensively. Period.”
Other draft analysts share similar opinions. ESPN’s Marcus Spears praises his versatility, saying he can shift across many positions up front.
“He was the No. 1 player coming out of high school, you know why? He was a freak of nature,” ESPN analyst Marcus Spears said during a recent draft segment. “He can play defensive tackle, he can play D-End and when you go to the league with this kind of skill set, you are Aaron Donald-ish.”
Jared Dubin of CBS Sports has Gary landing in Oakland with the No. 4 spot. That would put him alongside former Michigan teammate Maurice Hurst, a starter by the end of last year.
Jon Gruden has some work to do to rebuild this roster but slotting Gary into the middle of the defense while adding additional value is a heck of a start.
Walter Football has him going just outside the top-10 with the No. 12 pick by the Green Bay Packers.
Muhammad Wilkerson played well for the Packers in two-and-a-half games, but he then suffered a season-ending injury. He signed just a 1-year contract anyway. A replacement will be needed if he leaves.
Rashan Gary is an athletic freak. He wasn’t extremely productive as a freshman, but he recorded five sacks and 11 tackles for loss in 2017. His teammates believe he’ll be a top-10 pick.
NFL.com gives him a 6.37 Prospect Grade, saying he “should be an instant starter.”
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