The pre-draft process remains muddled for Rashan Gary.
The Michigan defensive lineman has a shoulder that was flagged, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, per sources informed of the situation. The injury issue is a labral tear from college, and most believe he can play this season, then possibly have surgery afterwards, per Rapoport. The injury would likely have to be managed or harnessed though.
Gary blew away the NFL Scouting Combine confirming the athletic traits that once made him the top high school recruit in the nation. His production at Michigan, however, didn't match the immense physical talent, leading to many pre-draft questions about the Michigan pass rusher at the NFL level.
Gary's health entering the NFL was also in question. He dealt with a shoulder issue that kept him out of several games last season. It appears that issue might not be fully in the past.
The chatter surrounding the 21-year-old edge rusher has vacillated greatly depending on the pundit. NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah settled on Gary as the No. 10 overall player in his latest Top 100 Prospects of the 2019 NFL Draft released this week. The edge rusher began the process as the No. 4 overall player on Jeremiah's list. Pro Football Focus has been down on Gary throughout the process, leaving him entirely out of most of its first-round projections.
The shoulder issue is the latest question to pop up for Gary. It conjures shades of Shaq Lawson in 2016, who fell to 19th in the draft with a shoulder injury teams thought he might be able to play through. After the Bills made him a mid-round pick, Lawson eventually had surgery in mid-May and missed the first six games of his rookie campaign.
If teams already were down on Gary, Tuesday's news would only confirm that belief. If they were high on the athletic freak, it might not matter a ton if he passed the team's medical evaluation. And, of course at this time of year, a team later in the draft hoping to land a pass rusher with huge upside like Gary might be thrilled this news is getting out two days before the draft.
