Rashan Gary Scouting report from Scouting Services Inc. 

NOTE: Scouting Services Inc has worked with NFL teams for decades, supplementing teams' own scouting departments with additional research and evaluations on college prosects. What follows is a "summary report - actual reports are often close to 100 pages long and only for NFL scouting departments to see.

TITLE: STATISTICS DON'T SHOW THE REAL VALUE IN RASHAN GARY

Rashan Gary - #3

University of Michigan Wolverines

6:04.3-277

Agility Tests...4.58 in the 40-yard dash…1.61 10-yard dash…2.67 20-yard dash…4.29 20-yard shuttle…7.26 three-cone drill…38-inch vertical jump…10'-00" broad jump…Bench pressed 225 pounds 26 times…34 1/8-inch arm length…9 5/8-inch hands…81 7/8--inch wingspan.

College Career...Gary has appeared in 35 games for the Wolverines, lining up at a variety of positions on the front wall. He delivered 137 tackles (84 solos) with 10.5 sacks for minus 70 yards, 24.0 stops for losses of 105 yards and nineteen quarterback pressures. He also caused one fumble.

Background...Coming out of Paramus Catholic High School, Gary was the consensus best recruit in the country and was twice named New Jersey Defensive Player of the Year. The 2015 USA Today Player of the Year was teammates with current New York Giants safety, Jabrill Peppers. He joined Peppers and another teammate, lineman Juwann Bushell-Beatty in becoming a Wolverine in 2016 after he recorded 110 tackles that included 27.5 sacks his last two years in the prep ranks.

A reserve as a freshman, he was limited to 27 tackles in 2016, but five were accounted for behind the line of scrimmage. As a sophomore, Gary received All-Big Ten Conference honors. Often playing more of a run-stuffing role, he posted 66 tackles, adding six sacks among his twelve stops-for-loss as a full-time starter.

Gary was one of several high-profile Wolverines that decided to bypass the team's bowl season in 2018, a pattern that more and more collegians seem to be following. In the industry, that becomes a "bad mark" until fully explaining their decision at the Combine. In twelve games as a senior, he collected 44 tackles, seeing his sack numbers dip to 3.5 and his tackle-for-loss figures close at seven. The notable drop was more due to a position responsibility, as U-M down linemen usually clear the gaps for their linebackers to blitz. With Gary doing the "grunt work," it freed up fellow end, Chase Winovich, who made fifteen stops-for-loss. Later in the season, Gary played more of an interior position in order for the staff to get Kwity Paye opportunities to come off the edge and get to the opposing passer.

The Scouting Report

Athletic Ability... Gary has a well built, thick frame with impressive muscle tone in his shoulders, chest, arms and back. He has a good bubble with thick thighs and calves, along with good arm length to stave off blockers and big hands to wrap and secure as a tackler. He looks to have room to add at least another 15 pounds of bulk without it affecting his overall quickness and timed speed.

Gary has above average timed speed for a player his size. He fires off the snap at a low pad level, keeping his hands inside his frame to prevent blockers from getting into his chest. He is a combative type that hits with a thud and displays more than enough hand strength to dislodge the ball from the running backs. He is genetically gifted, as he flashes excellent acceleration closing from the backside and the powerful burst to be quite effective splitting double teams and impacting pocket pressure when working towards the inside gaps. He has that short, sudden burst off the line to surprise a lethargic offensive lineman and has shown decent leaping ability (prep basketball player with a verified 38-inch vertical jump), along with the long reach to knock down passes at the line of scrimmage. His suddenness off the snap allows him to consistently gain penetration.

Pursuit Skills...Gary has an impressive blend of quickness and power, especially as a pass rusher. He has that initial explosion to fly past slower offensive linemen and simply beats most blockers coming off the edge. He has the balance and change of direction agility to slant and shoot the gaps, staying low in his pads while using his reach to keep blockers away from his legs. When he moves laterally, you can see the way he easily blows past the gaps. He has the same burst whether standing up or in a two-point stance and consistency gains advantage with his ability to pin the offensive tackle’s ears back. He has that low center of gravity to quickly crash inside coming off the snap and very good balance when bending back inside. With his hand usage, upper body strength and punch, more often than not, he can walk any offensive tackle back into the quarterback.

Strength at the Point of Attack... This is where Gary is greatly underrated. With a 400-pound bench press, big hands and long arms (81 7/8-inch wing span), he is a nightmare for offensive tackles in one-on-one confrontations. He might get too caught up in the battle at times, but utilizes his quickness and explosion off the ball, along with active hands to consistently gain block separation. He shows much quicker counter moves as a senior than in previous seasons and shows the lower body strength and leg drive to get opponents off-balance when shooting the gaps. He uses his hands well to discard blocks and even when double teamed, he’s not blocked for long, as he uses his strength well to lock out and shed. He also uses his hands with force when attempting to rip through holds.

Hand Usage... Gary has outstanding ability to swipe at and knock down offensive linemen coming off blocks, as his hand quickness is very beneficial when executing pass rush moves. He uses his length like a weapon – constantly stabbing in attempts to gain separation. He is also very effective when trying to pull and jerk on offensive tackles to break free coming off the edge.

Tackling Ability...Gary is a solid wrap-up tackler with good range, especially when making plays from the backside. He hits with a good thud and knows how to bring his arms to wrap and secure. He is not the type that will take a side, which results in a few runners getting away. He shows good vision working at the X’s and comes to balance quickly to stave off low blocks and make plays when clogging the inside run lanes. He has more than enough strength to discard blockers and makes plays because of his hunger to do so (will never throttle on a play).

Some teams might consider Gary linebacker material due to his pursuit quickness and ability to work down the line. He is more effective locating the ball on the move. He takes very good angles to the ball and flashes the short area burst needed to maintain acceleration while pressuring and chasing the quarterback (see 2018 Nebraska, Indiana  games). The thing you notice on film is his outstanding eyes, as he always seems to be able to locate the ball through a crowd and give chase.

Run Defense...Understand, this is a player that constantly saw multiple blockers attack him. Gary is a beast when giving chase in the backfield. He has that instinctive ability to know when to shoot his hands in attempts to hit and shed. He plays much bigger than his size indicates in run force and has the lower body strength to hold ground firmly at the point of attack. He runs and chases the ball down all over the field and is very consistent in finding the football when on the move.

Pass Rush Ability...Gary has that sudden initial step to gain advantage coming off the edge. His balance is evident by his ability to easily bend back inside. He has the leg drive to get under offensive tackles and push his man back into the pocket. He flashes the short area burst needed to shoot the gaps and very good ability to dip and rip while turning the corner. He bends and flattens with good body control and speed, but he also knows that he has to keep his hands active and not allow himself to get tied up at the X’s to have the success he has had pressuring and collapsing the pocket.

While he has just average sack numbers, Gary shows valid initial explosion off the snap to gain penetration. He shows good urgency and effort in his chase and has the speed in the backfield to regularly disrupt the pocket. With his ability to come off the edge, using him at 277 pounds, standing up in a 3-4 alignment, could see him wreak havoc vs. the passing game.

Compares To...Richard Seymour-ex-New England Patriots...Yes, a lofty comparison for a player with average statistics, but Gary often played out of position at Michigan. He has the potential for being a top-north inside-outside rusher, much like Seymour was. Gary has that innate ability to quickly spot blocking schemes, making plays before they can even develop. He has patience while playing in run containment and the balance to change direction to shut down the reverse. He shows very good eyes to locate the ball on the move. He knows how to use his arm length to get block separation while he locates the football and consistently shows the ability to make plays when working down the line.