The Green Bay Packers still don't know when Micah Parsons will be available. He's targeting Week 6 as an optimistic scenario, but setbacks can happen, or the team may simply not feel comfortable with where he's at that point.
Unless they make a move soon, they'll likely roll into the season with Lukas Van Ness as their primary pass rusher, with Brenton Cox. Jr and camp standout Barryn Sorrell as the next guys in the pecking order.
However, given how thin they are at the position, even rookie Dani Dennis-Sutton might be thrown into the fire right out of the gate. The Packers don't usually do that with first-year players, but he showed strong flashes in spring workouts before missing time in recent weeks.
The Packers may need Dani Dennis-Sutton to step up
Anthony Campbell and Jonathan Ford stood up early in the preseason, with Cox and Nyjalik Kelly also making a case. Dennis-Sutton dressed and warmed up for the first two preseason contests but was ultimately a DNP.
While raw, he drew rave reviews early on in training camp. He's a privileged athlete with impressive get-off speed, and he has the potential to be one of the most explosive pass-rushers in the game once he polishes his technique and adds more moves to his repertoire.
Parsons' absence is a huge blow. It'll take a collective effort from Jonathan Gannon's defense to make up for it, and that might mean thinking outside the box and moving away from their usual approach. Unlike other pass rushers, he doesn't need to bulk up to hold his ground against NFL-caliber linemen.
Production hasn't always been there, but Dennis-Sutton's upside is pretty clear. He can make an immediate impact in obvious run situations, and he was a willing contributor to special teams in college.
The NFC North is the toughest and most competitive division in football. Losing a game might be the difference between making the playoffs or sitting home for the most crucial stretch of the campaign, and not even a winning record will guarantee you a postseason berth.
This situation is clearly far from ideal, and the Packers should continue to explore potential moves and add more help to their pass-rushing department. But if they can't or won't find anyone to help them defend the fort in Parson's absence, they may have no choice but to ask their rookie to show just how far along he is in his development.
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