Packers May Be Planning Surprising Micah Parsons Replacement

During the 2025 regular season, Sorrell appeared in 14 games and recorded 178 defensive snaps. Fifty-two of those came in the finale against Minnesota, where he notched eight tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery. In contests when the starters played their usual workload, he averaged roughly 13 snaps per outing and finished the year with six pressures and 1.5 sacks overall.

Those modest numbers reflected limited opportunity more than a lack of ability. With Parsons unavailable, the Packers are asking Sorrell to expand his contributions both as a pass rusher and a run defender. He has also drawn notice for his growing presence in the locker room, setting an example through preparation and effort.

Rookie Dani Dennis-Sutton did not play Thursday because of an injury, removing one potential challenger from the equation for now. Even before the setback, Dennis-Sutton had not positioned himself as a serious candidate for the starting job, though he has shown flashes in various alignments during camp.

The Packers instead mixed in veterans and other young players such as Brenton Cox and Collin Oliver once the starters left the field. Undrafted free agent Nyjalik Kelly also received early opportunities, yet none of those options currently threaten Sorrell’s hold on the top backup-to-starter role.

Cox brings prior NFL experience and has filled depth spots in previous seasons, but his snap counts this summer trail those of Sorrell. Oliver, a 2025 draft selection, is projected more as a situational pass-rush specialist than an every-down starter. That hierarchy leaves Sorrell as the clear frontrunner to open the season alongside Van Ness.

Across the league, edge rushers who transition from rotational roles to expanded duties often see their production rise with increased opportunities. In 2025, top performers at the position routinely generated pressures on more than 15 percent of their pass-rush snaps, a benchmark Sorrell will aim to approach if given a larger share of the workload.

The Packers’ defensive scheme under its current coordinator emphasizes multiple looks and personnel groupings, which could further highlight Sorrell’s ability to play both outside and inside. His college background at Texas included consistent production as a three-year starter, including double-digit tackles for loss and sacks in his final seasons, providing a foundation for the increased responsibility now expected of him.

As training camp continues and additional preseason games approach, the depth chart at edge rusher is sharpening. Dennis-Sutton and Oliver figure to contribute in specific packages, Cox remains reliable depth, and Sorrell stands positioned to absorb the majority of the snaps that would otherwise belong to Parsons.

Whether Sorrell can sustain the early momentum remains to be seen once the regular season arrives and opponents begin game-planning specifically for him.

For the moment, though, one preseason contest has supplied the clearest indication yet of how the Packers intend to address one of their most pressing questions on defense.