The Green Bay Packers seemed content with hitting a bunch of singles in the 2026 NFL Draft, as many of their selections were adequate value picks at positions of need. There was no huge trade-up in the order or wild consensus board reach; just a very forthright and pragmatic approach.
If the Packers managed to pull off a "steal" with any of their picks in this draft, Penn State pass rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton lasting until the fourth round stands out as someone who could immediately impact the Green Bay defense. With Micah Parsons on the mend, his fellow Nittany Lion may have come at the perfect time.
ESPN's Aaron Schatz declared that edge rusher is the team's biggest need after the draft, citing the fact that Dennis-Sutton and Barryn Sorrell are the rotational depth pieces at this point in time. Schatz urged Green Bay to consider signing a veteran free agent.
Why go get a veteran? The big names are gone, and the Packers have a player in Dennis-Sutton who has all the traits he needs to hit the ground running and immediately make up for a team that is likely to start the season without Parsons.
Dani Dennis-Sutton can help Packers fix pass-rush hole
Dennis-Sutton is a weird projection. Despite not having the dominant year that many expected him to have during his final season in Happy Valley, his strong NFL Combine showing proves that the athleticism everyone expected to see out of him is still very much alive.
The Packers' waiting until the fourth round to draft a pure edge rusher like Dennis-Sutton could lead to him picking up a non-insignificant diet of snaps in his rookie season. Unlike 2023 first-round pick and teammate Lukas Van Ness, Dennis-Sutton is less a raw bundle of tools and more of a ready-made edge-setter.
DDS is not someone who is a designated pass-rush specialist. In fact, his ability to set the edge at a much more effective clip than many of his Day 3 counterparts. A team that lost Rashan Gary, who can still play the run for all his faults as a pass rusher, may be even more interested in what Dennis-Sutton brings to the table.
Green Bay has usually been fairly prudent with giving their rotational rookies some early snaps, and fans should expect more of the same for a player very few expected to be available as late as he was.
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