If there is one thing that the Green Bay Packers have plenty of, it is high-upside young players. The team is very inexperienced at a few spots heading into the 2023 season, but if some of their youth starts developing, this is a roster that could be loaded with talent in the near future.
Picking out just one player as the most promising building block certainly isn’t easy. The Packers have what they hope to be a dynamic playmaker for years to come offensively with wide receiver Christian Watson. The same could be said about his running mate, Romeo Doubs.
On defense, the Packers have a few players that are building blocks in linebacker Quay Walker and defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt. However, the player who stood out the most to Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report was pass rusher Rashan Gary.
Gary was selected by Ballentine as the most promising building block on the Packers’ roster and it is hard to argue against that. Had it not been for a torn ACL suffered in Week 9 last season, Gary could have very easily not qualified for this list with a Pro Bowl nod and extension being worked out.
“While most of the players on this list have yet to quite prove they can be building blocks on the field, Gary has shown it. He just has to prove that he’s still that player after a major injury.
In all likelihood, he’s going to do just that and the Packers could have a dynamic duo of pass rushers with Gary and first-round pick Lukas Van Ness for the long-term future.”
Gary and Van Ness will have an established pass rusher in Preston Smith to learn from in 2023, but they are the future of the franchise. Both are excellent building blocks and Van Ness could very easily find himself on this list in 2024.
At the time of his injury in 2023, Gary was in the midst of a true breakout season. He was top-10 in the NFL in sacks, quarterback hits and pressures with six, 12 and 17, respectively. To put into perspective how important of a player he is to the Packers’ success, Gary finished second on the team in sacks despite playing in only nine games.
A full, healthy season from Gary would change the trajectory of this defensive unit. Having three good pass-rushing options like the Packers project to have will make life so much easier for defensive coordinator Joe Barry.