The Green Bay Packers will open the 2026 season without Micah Parsons, leaving a temporary vacancy at one of the most important spots on their defense.
Bleacher Report believes fourth-round rookie Dani Dennis-Sutton could make a run at filling it.
The outlet ranked Dennis-Sutton No. 73 among the NFL’s top 99 rookies entering the preseason and gave the Penn State product an “outside shot” to start in Week 1.
With Parsons recovering from knee surgery and Lukas Van Ness still trying to solidify his place in Green Bay’s long-term plans, the opening is there.
Dennis-Sutton will get his first preseason chance to confirm his potential Thursday night when the Packers visit the Pittsburgh Steelers at 7 p.m. Eastern.
Dennis-Sutton Gets Early Opening With Parsons Sidelined
GettyGREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – NOVEMBER 02: Micah Parsons #1 looks on in the game at Lambeau Field on November 02, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
The projection is aggressive considering where Dennis-Sutton currently sits.
Green Bay’s first unofficial depth chart lists the 22-year-old on the third team at edge, while Van Ness and Sorrell are positioned with the starters. Bleacher Report sees enough unsureness ahead of Dennis-Sutton to make an early climb possible.
“There’s an outside shot Dennis-Sutton is a Week 1 starter for the Packers,” B/R’s scouting department wrote.
Parsons’ absence is expected to stretch well beyond the preseason.
The four-time All-Pro said earlier this month that returning for Green Bay’s Week 6 meeting with the Cowboys on Oct. 18 is “very realistic,” per Packers.com. His surgery included a meniscus repair along with ACL reconstruction, making his recovery different from a standard ACL timeline.
That could leave Green Bay without its best pass-rusher for at least the first five games. Parsons recorded 12.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss and 27 quarterback hits in 14 games last season.
The Packers need someone to absorb part of that workload, and Dennis-Sutton has several weeks to show he deserves a big piece of the pie.
Packers Rookie Has Tools to Force His Way Into Rotation
GettySTATE COLLEGE, PENNSYLVANIA – NOVEMBER 8: Dani Dennis-Sutton #33 of the Penn State Nittany Lions reacts before a play against the Indiana Hoosiers at Beaver Stadium on November 8, 2025 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images)
Dennis-Sutton didn’t arrive as a typical fourth-round developmental flier.
Green Bay selected him No. 120 overall after B/R placed him 81st on its final pre-draft board. The Packers’ official bio lists Dennis-Sutton at 6-foot-5 and 256 pounds, with a 4.63-second 40-yard dash and 39.5-inch vertical jump.
His production at Penn State matched the testing numbers. Dennis-Sutton totaled 84 tackles, 25 tackles for loss, 17 sacks, 17 quarterback hits and five forced fumbles over his final two college seasons. He also led the FBS with three blocked kicks in 2025.
Green Bay has already explored ways to make that skill set useful. A to Z Sports reported early in camp that Dennis-Sutton was receiving work as a situational interior rusher, giving defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon another way to get him onto the field.
The edge rotation is unsettled enough for those snaps to matter.
Van Ness, the No. 13 overall pick in 2023, had 1.5 sacks through five games last season before a foot injury disrupted his year. Packers.com noted he enters 2026 healthy for the first time since his rookie season and may hold down one starting spot while Parsons is out.
Dennis-Sutton has more ground to cover for the other spot. The first depth chart makes that know.
Thursday provides him with a possibility to begin closing it.
A notable preseason won’t guarantee Dennis-Sutton a Week 1 assignment, but the Packers have a need at edge and a rookie with enough power, athleticism and college production to make the competition interesting.
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