Packers Draft Pick Showing Early Promise, Seeking Bigger Role

The Green Bay Packers are preparing for their second preseason game of the 2025 season later this week. Training camp has reached the halfway mark, and players are beginning to assert themselves and show that they deserve bigger roles on the team. One Packers day three draft pick is showing early promise and is seeking a bigger role on the defense in his first NFL season.

Packers Draft Pick Showing Early Promise: The Path to Green Bay

The Packers selected defensive end Barryn Sorrell in the fourth round of this year’s NFL Draft. Sorrell appeared at the draft in person which is rare for a day three pick. The fact that the draft was in Green Bay and the way Sorrell handled the moment made it extremely memorable. Sorrell immediately seemed at home with the Green Bay crowd and the moment was instantly touching.

The former Texas star was the first edge rusher the Packers drafted in 2025. The team didn’t sign any major free agents at the position, so Sorrell was the most prominent addition to the position by the Packers over the offseason.

Sorrell came to Green Bay with a good attitude and ready to start his rookie season. He made a solid showing at OTAs and was prepared for the start of training camp.

A Promising Start

Sorrell played well in the Packers preseason opener against the Jets. He registered two quarterback hits to lead the team in that category. Both of the hits resulted from a power rush which seems to be Sorrell’s best move at this point. Both also came against the Jets second string offensive line.

He also made two tackles during the game and contributed on special teams. Sorrell was called for holding on the opening kickoff but otherwise made a strong showing in his first NFL preseason game.

So far, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley has liked what he’s seen from Sorrell and his ability to learn quickly. “I think he’s a young guy who’s learning how to play the position,” Hafley told reporters. “You’ve got a guy who has pass-rush ability. He strains. Here’s what I saw (in the first preseason game]: He got better as the game went on. He made mistakes in the game, and in the same drive he was correcting them. Which says a lot. Which doesn’t really happen a lot of times for rookie players. He was correcting mistakes, and he was fixing his own mistakes really quickly. Which, to me, might be the most promising thing. His toughness, we know. His leadership, I think he has a chance to be a really good leader down the road. But certainly, we need to keep working with him, too. It’s early.”

The promise is there, but there’s still plenty of work for Sorrell to do.

Packers Draft Pick Showing Early Promise: Where He Fits in the Lineup

What lies ahead in the short term is a battle for playing time in the Packers defensive end rotation. Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness will be the starters barring injury. Then, Sorrell has to battle with Kingsley Enagbare, Brenton Cox, and fellow rookie Collin Oliver for playing time.

Still, Sorrell has made a good first impression on the coaches and on his teammates. Veteran defensive tackle Kenny Clark, the most experienced of the Packers linemen, has also been pleased by what he’s seen from the Texas rookie.

“He’s always coming in with the right mindset. He’s a guy that wants to learn from all his vets,” Clark explained. Then he added, “He’s quiet, and he just works his ass off. He’s got a great power game. He had some really good rushes in the game [and] a couple good stack lifts on the left tackle. So, he’s just got to keep it going, keep pushing.”

We’ll soon see how far he can push in his first NFL campaign.