How often do you see a rookie defender putting up numbers that mimic Micah Parsons' production? The answer is that it's quite rare, and seldom on the same team. That's what makes the start of Green Bay's fourth-round rookie Dani Dennis-Sutton's young career so enticing — especially while awaiting Parsons' return.
No, the raw sack numbers aren't quite in Parsons range, but Dani Dennis-Sutton is putting immense pressure on opposing quarterbacks when his name is called. According to Clayton of Packerfan Total Access, Dennis-Sutton is posting a 21.6% pressure rate in 172 snaps so far this season, which is the highest on the team and greater than Parsons' 20.2% pressure rate in 2025.
Dennis-Sutton has nine total pressures this season and has contributed to two sacks so far, which is encouraging in and of itself. But once you begin to imagine what he'll look like operating opposite Parsons, it transforms the trajectory of this Packers defense entirely.
With Dani Dennis-Sutton on one edge and Micah Parsons on the other, the Green Bay Packers' pass rush could dominate their competition.
The Packers are holding up pretty well defensively under defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, even without their star player ready to roll. Although he's not expected to practice this week, there is still some optimism that Parsons could be ready by Week 8. Although at this rate, a Week 9 return might be more realistic.
Regardless of how that plays out, it feels like a near certainty that he'll be back on the field when the Packers return from their Week 11 bye. And at that point, Dennis-Sutton should be fully acclimated to the intensity and physicality of NFL football, giving the Packers one of the most dynamic edge-rushing combinations in the entire league off rip.
That doesn't even include Lukas Van Ness, the 2023 first-round pick who has been dominant through six games with 17 tackles and 3.5 sacks operating between the edge and outside linebacker positions. This should allow Parsons to return on a more limited basis to get his feet under him and rebuild his confidence coming off a major injury, ensuring he doesn't push himself too hard or get overworked while regaining his strength.
Nonetheless, Dani Dennis-Sutton is carving out a significant role for himself sooner than many scouts or analysts expected he would and is serving it well. If he can continue applying pressure like this, it'll allow Gannon to get more creative with how he deploys Van Ness and Parsons, creating a three-headed pass-rushing dragon that could wreck offensive lines and force quarterbacks into precarious situations on every down. Sounds like a Packers fan's dream scenario coming to reality.
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