The Green Bay Packers may not have the same excitement that they’ve had in previous years after trading their 2026 first-round pick as part of the Micah Parsons trade. But that doesn’t mean there’s no intrigue about what they may do with their first selection at No. 52 overall.
The Packers have several needs to fill heading into next season, and while they’ve been proactive in filling those holes with their previous drafts, the same thought could continue when they’re on the clock in the second round.
This includes a need at edge rusher, where Green Bay could need additional depth to account for Parsons’s rehab from a torn ACL, and other needs that could pop up in the coming years mean that the Packers should run in the card if Penn State edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton is still on the board.
Packers’ Sneaky Pass-Rusher Need Could Lead to Dani Dennis-Sutton
Packers fans could push back on this by citing the team’s need at cornerback or defensive tackle. Some may even believe the Packers should take a wide receiver after trading Dontayvion Wicks and losing Romeo Doubs in free agency. But edge rusher is a sneaky need that not only should be addressed for the start of next season, but in future years, where a player could be elevated to a starting role.
Parsons could miss the opening month of the season due to his rehab, but he remains a long-term fixture of the Green Bay defense. The opposite spot is currently manned by Lukas Van Ness, but he’s entering the final year of his contract unless the Packers decide to pick up his fifth-year option at the end of the month. There’s also a chance he could be traded in the near future, but it doesn’t seem that is likely given their current situation.
If the Packers decline Van Ness’s option or make a trade, things start to get risky. Brenton Cox Jr. was re-signed this offseason, but his one-year deal suggests it’s more of a band-aid to get through their current situation. Second-year players Barryn Sorrell and Collin Oliver are also lurking, but neither is a sure thing to elevate their game in 2026, leaving the door open to add one more pass-rusher in the draft.
As it stands right now, Dennis-Sutton would be a strong option. According to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, Sutton led the Big Ten with 3.8 pressures per game last season and has collected 8.5 sacks in each of his two seasons as a starter in 2024 and 2025. Brugler adds that Dennis Sutton “wins with a combination of quickness and power in all facets of his game” and “offers a solid anchor in the run game.”
For the Packers, this is a high-end project that could pay dividends. While Van Ness had the best year of his career in 2025 with a career-high Pro Football Focus grade of 75.7, he also dealt with a nagging foot injury. The losses of Rashan Gary and Kingsley Engabare have also left the Packers without proven NFL talent on the back end, which could necessitate the need to take Dennis-Sutton.
There are several directions the Packers could go when they come on the clock, and there are other players who could fill more immediate needs. But general manager Brian Gutekunst always seems to keep his eyes down the road, and that could lead Dennis-Sutton to becoming a Packer.
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