The Green Bay Packers drafted defensive line/linebacker hybrid Rashan Gary with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft in the hopes that the Michigan star would give a boost to a defense that ranked 22nd in points allowed the year prior.

And while Gary hasn't had a major impact with Green Bay this year, the rookie has shown flashes of stardom in limited snaps. Gary has been playing as the backup outside linebacker behind five-year veteran Za'Darius Smith but despite playing less than a quarter of the team's defensive snaps this season, the 6-foot-5, 277-pound athletic specimen has the makings of being an elite pass rusher in the NFL.

The former Michigan standout showed that potential in the Packers' most recent win against the Chicago Bears. Gary sacked Bears' quarterback Mitchell Trubisky for his second sack of the season and added three tackles. At first, pretty modest stats but when you consider the number of snaps the rookie actually plays, it's clear that the first-year pro could be in line for more playing time sooner than later.

The Packers defense has taken a big step forward this season and while Gary only has 20 tackles and two sacks on the season, Green Bay's most recent first-round pick has played in every game and left an impact.

Gary was one of the top prospects in the country coming out of high school and he continued that dominance at Michigan. In his junior season, Gary recorded 58 tackles, 11.5 TFLs and 5.5 sacks for a Wolverine defense that ranked as one of the best in college football.

At 277 pounds, Gary ran a 4.58 forty-yard dash at the 2019 combine and blew away scouts with his combination of size, athleticism, and explosiveness.

Green Bay's 35 sacks on the season rank in the bottom half of the league, so it's clear that the Packers are trying to groom as the team's future anchor on defense. Gary certainly has that potential. It's a little concerning that the coveted rookie can't get on the field more often but that's likely due to the career year that Smith is having in front of him.

The Packers have spent the majority of their early-round draft picks in recent years upgrading the defense. However, Gary has the chance to be the best out of all of them. At 11-3, Green Bay isn't too worried about letting rookies get experience.

But, the Packers drafted Gary to be the future and in limited snaps, he has shown he can be that.