The Green Bay Packers were mostly set ahead of the 2026 NFL season before the draft. However, they could use some help in the pass-rushing department — especially with Rashan Gary gone and Micah Parsons set to miss the start of the season.
General manager Brian Gutekunst waited until the fourth round of the NFL Draft to address that need. He did so by taking Penn State's Dani Dennis-Sutton, a former five-star recruit who didn't always live up to the hype — especially last season.
Nevertheless, even though he failed to take another leap in 2025 after a strong 2024 campaign, Dennis-Sutton offers this team a high floor and the potential to be a day-one contributor. That's not great news for Lukas Van Ness.
Dani Dennis-Sutton will give Lukas Van Ness a run for his money
First, let's get the negative stuff out of the way: Dennis-Sutton isn't the most explosive pass rusher out there, and while he's a great athlete, he's too upright. He may struggle to get past bigger, better NFL-caliber offensive linemen.
Other than that, he's an impactful guy who, unlike most of the Packers' pass rushers, can actually hold his ground against the run. Also, with Penn State's recent story of developing pass rushers, he's certainly worth keeping a close eye on.
An athletic freak, Dennis-Sutton turned a lot of heads at the NFL Scouting Combine. He ran a 4.63-second 40-yard dash with a 1.63-second 10-yard split, and he registered a 10'11 broad jump and a 39.5-inch vertical.
Moreover, the fact that he can be out there in obvious pass situations or hold down the run should help him get snaps early and often. Even if the Packers are usually cautious with their rookies, Van Ness' glaring limitations may force defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon to roll with the rookie instead.
The Packers just picked up Van Ness' fifth-year option, so clearly, they're still not ready to give up on their former first-round selection. Even so, he's coming off starting just 2 of 9 games last season, logging 19 total tackles, three tackles for loss, seven QB hits, and 1.5 sacks. He failed to make the most of Micah Parsons' presence, opening up lanes for him, and he didn't step up when the Packers' star fell with an injury, either.
This team doesn't have much margin for error in the stacked NFC North. Javon Hargrave's arrival gave them pretty much everything they need to round up the starting lineup, and they should be a force to be reckoned with once Parsons is back on the field. That said, Van Ness' job may not be safe, especially once Gannon watches Dennis-Sutton stuffing the run and giving the team a little bit of everything.
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