Barryn Sorrell flashed plenty of promise as a Green Bay Packers rookie. In his only start, Week 18 versus Minnesota, he recorded his first full sack. Fans are even more excited to see what he can bring in Year 2 after those clips of Sorrell working out with Micah Parsons' trainer this offseason.
He'll have to bring the heat. The Packers will start the season undermanned at edge rusher with Parsons expected to miss time early. ESPN said as much by naming the position the roster's most glaring need, suggesting they target a veteran in free agency.
It will be up to Green Bay's youngsters, and Sorrell in particular, to disprove those concerns.
Barryn Sorrell has every chance to take the lead in Packers' early-season rotation
The former Longhorn could realistically enter training camp favored to be the No. 2 option alongside Lukas Van Ness in Week 1, assuming Parsons won't be available and that the Packers do not sign a veteran starter.
They do have other options on the roster. Hopes are high for 2025 fifth-rounder Collin Oliver, who spent most of last season on injured reserve. They might be even higher for Dani Dennis-Sutton, Green Bay's fourth-round pick in the 2026 draft. Even as a rookie, he should make a material impact.
Brenton Cox should be in the mix. The Packers could always ask Karl Brooks to shed a few pounds and try him back on the outside in 4-3 fronts, after using him primarily on the defensive interior last year.
But Sorrell should take it upon himself to put external doubts to rest. He has a year of NFL experience over Dennis-Sutton and nearly a year on Oliver. His 4.68 40-time may not be impressive, but he still has the combination of size and agility to be an effective outside linebacker. That work with Parsons' trainer can only help.
Barryn has another advantage over some of his teammates. Entering his second season, his ceiling is still fairly uncapped. At this point, the Packers know what they have in Cox and Brooks. They're solid rotation pieces.
For as long as Parsons is out, a starting role could be Sorrell's to lose. The margins, of course, are extremely slim. The depth-chart pecking order remains nebulous in the strongest sense of the word. It would not be surprising to see an equal time share between all four of Sorrell, Cox, Dennis-Sutton, and Oliver as the Packers delegate Parsons' duties by committee.
Hopefully Parsons isn't out long. In truth, mitigating his absence will be a collective effort, but it's Sorrell who should take skeptics' concerns most personally. If he didn't show them enough in Year 1, he'll have to open their eyes in round two.
Add us as a preferred source on Google