Landing Penn State edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton with the 120th pick of the draft was objectively a steal for the Green Bay Packers. General manager Brian Gutekunst was ready to pull the trigger on a trade up into the third round, so imagine his delight to find his target still sitting there late in the fourth. Draft guru Todd McShay ranked Dennis-Sutton 46th among all prospects ahead of the draft.
Don't stop the hype train now. Sports Illustrated's Bill Huber revealed that an NFL scout gave Dennis-Sutton an NFL comparison that should have Packers fans hard-pressed to curb their enthusiasm.
Based on their athletic profiles coming out of college, the former Nittany Lion is a match for five-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro defensive end Danielle Hunter of the Houston Texans. Goosebumps.
Danielle Hunter comparison only pumps up hype for Dani Dennis-Sutton's future
Packers fans will remember Hunter from his time in Minnesota, where he tallied 87.5 sacks in 119 games.
Understandably, there will be some well-advised caution against getting too excited over a fourth-rounder before he's even played a down of summer camp scrimmage ball. Being comped to Hunter, however, is an honor that few prospects will ever receive.
Now a 10-year veteran, the former 88th overall pick has racked up 54 sacks and 67 tackles for loss in his last four seasons. Hunter picked up right where he left off after injuries cost him all of 2020 and most of 2021.
His athletic profile coming out of LSU was similar to Dennis-Sutton's. Hunter's elite testing scores across the board yielded a Relative Athletic Score of 9.88 out of 10. Not bad, eh?
Dennis-Sutton was just a little bit better. Boosted by slight advantages in size and strength in his pre-draft testing, his 9.96 RAS ranked in the top 99.6 percent among all DEs in the metric's history. Raw athleticism doesn't guarantee athletic success, of course. But wow. Just, wow.
DDS also had the more productive college career, statistically speaking. His last two seasons, especially, featured the tangible contributions to go along with his freakish physical characteristics: 17 sacks, 25 TFLs, five forced fumbles, and an interception.
That's not to say that anyone expects Dennis-Sutton to equal Hunter's prestigious NFL career. Of course not. Few expected Hunter, a third-rounder with 4.5 college sacks to his name, to reach professional stardom, either.
First things first, DDS just needs to start rookie minicamp strong. Later, he'll compete for depth-chart position with the young pass rushers already on the roster, a group that includes 2025 draft picks Barryn Sorrell and Collin Oliver. The door should be wide open with Micah Parsons likely sidelined to begin the season.
Even as a rookie, Dennis-Sutton should have the opportunity to earn a meaningful role. When Danielle Hunter is your NFL comp and Parsons is excited to have you there, the sky's the limit. Pardon the hyperbole.
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