Rashan Gary Enters Summer Laser‑Focused on a Career Year as DeMarcus Covington Revamps Green Bay’s Defensive Front

On the final day of OTAs, Rashan Gary stood in front of reporters, visor tipped low, and summed up his offseason in two clipped words: “Locked in.” The Green Bay Packers’ premier edge rusher has spent the spring vowing to turn a disappointing 2024 into a 2025 explosion, crediting a revamped pass‑rush plan under freshly hired defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington for sharpening his edge. “I’ve been chewing on last year’s film every night,” Gary said, “and Coach Cov’s got all of us attacking the details.”

The urgency is understandable. Pro Football Focus graded the 27‑year‑old at an 89.8 peak in 2021, but that number has drifted south each season, landing at 73.8 in 2024—a respectable mark yet nowhere near the elite company Gary craves.

Digging deeper, PFF charted Gary with 47 total pressures—only 31st among qualifying edge defenders—and 7.5 sacks, his lowest total since 2022.

He also ranked outside the top 35 in pass‑rush win rate, proof that splash plays masked an inconsistent down‑to‑down impact. For a player who signed a lucrative extension in 2023 and carries the seventh‑highest cap hit among NFL edge rushers this season, mediocrity simply will not suffice.

Gary’s personal lull was symptomatic of a broader malaise. Green Bay finished 2024 tied for 20th in sacks (45), yet 20 of those came in just three Sunday bursts. On aggregate, the Packers checked in at 27th league‑wide in pass‑rush win rate, a glaring weakness for a defense built to close games with pressure.

Head coach Matt LaFleur responded by luring DeMarcus Covington from New England, naming the 36‑year‑old both defensive line coach and run‑game coordinator. Covington rocketed up Bill Belichick’s ladder from assistant to Patriots defensive coordinator in 2024; LaFleur is banking on that fast‑track intellect to energize a front built around first‑round talent.

Gary has already bought in. “I love the confidence he has,” the former Michigan star said after a spirited June practice, adding that Covington’s emphasis on hand violence and multiple launch points “lets us rush like hoopers in space.”

The coaching tweak dovetails with roster recalibration. Kenny Clark is finally healthy after off‑season toe surgery, Devonte Wyatt trimmed ten pounds for quicker gap penetration, and 2023 first‑rounder Lukas Van Ness has added an inside counter to pair with his trademark bull rush. If those pieces draw even modest double teams, Covington believes Gary can flirt with a 15‑sack plateau.

Athlon Sports already labeled the former No. 12 overall pick a top breakout candidate for 2025, noting that “pressure leader” status must convert into elite efficiency for Green Bay to keep pace with the NFC’s arms race.

 Gary embraces the weight. He spent Pro Bowl week quizzing veterans on tells, refining his get‑off with biomechanics coach Luke Richesson, and logging predawn film sessions to catalog offensive tackle tendencies. “Gold jacket standards,” he said—half‑joking, half‑manifesting.