The Green Bay Packers know that star edge rusher Micah Parsons will miss at least the first four games of the 2026 season. Recent reports suggest that he could miss as much as the first half of the season as he recovers from the torn ACL he suffered last December in Denver. Last season the pass rush fell off after Parsons’ injury and the effectiveness of the entire defense fell off as a result. Both Rashan Gary and Kingsley Enagbare have departed Green Bay this offseason. The Packers still have a lot of potential talent available on the current roster heading into training camp, but few proven options. So, who will provide the pass rush for the Packers in the early part of the season?
Who Will Provide the Pass Rush for the Packers Early in the Season? The Most Experienced Option
The most experienced option the Packers have is fourth-year Iowa alum Lukas Van Ness. The former first-round pick has started only two games in his first three NFL seasons. This year will be his big chance to show he should be a starter and key contributor to the pass rush. He has already improved his play against the run.
Van Ness has shown flashes of the elite athletic ability that made him a first-round pick, but he has yet to put it all together and provide a consistent pass rush. Injuries slowed him last season, but he still has yet to match the four sacks he recorded back in his rookie season in 2023. He has been working on additional pass rush moves that could help him in the game-long battle against offensive linemen.
The Packers already picked up the fifth-year option on Van Ness for 2027, but the team will be counting on him to step up and be the team’s primary pass rusher before Parsons returns to the lineup.
The Rookie and Second-Year Men
The Packers did address the edge rusher position in the 2026 NFL Draft when they selected Dani Dennis-Sutton in the fourth round. While Dennis-Sutton remains unlikely to win a starting job, he should be part of the edge rush rotation possibly as the third or fourth player on the depth chart.
The Penn State alum made a good first impression during OTAs and minicamp and hopes to at least be a designated pass rusher as he learns the other aspects of an NFL defense.
The team also has returning second-year men in Barryn Sorrell and Collin Oliver. Sorrell recorded 1.5 sacks in his rookie season last year while making three quarterback hits and one tackle for loss. The former Texas star showed flashes of ability in the 14 games he appeared in and could claim a bigger role if he takes a second-year jump in 2026.
Oliver went through a red-shirt rookie season, appearing in just one game after missing most of the season due to injury. The Packers are eager to find out what he can contribute to the team now that he has a better knowledge of the defense.
Who Will Provide the Pass Rush for the Packers Early in the Season? Don’t Overlook Him
Brenton Cox will be entering his fourth season in Green Bay. Through his first three years, he played a combined total of 15 games. He recorded four sacks in just seven games in 2024. Cox has the ability to put pressure on the quarterback but needs to stay healthy and stay on the field.
Many scouts viewed Cox as a player with early-round draft talent but off the field issues caused him to go undrafted before the Packers signed him as a free agent. He should not be overlooked this fall and could easily carve out a larger role for himself with a strong training camp and preseason.
The Packers have a lot of talent at edge rusher, but most of that talent (besides Parsons) is unproven. The team will need at least a couple of these players to step up and take on bigger roles if they hope to thrive without Parsons in the lineup during the first half of the season.
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