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The Packers Still Need More Experienced Depth at Edge
The Green Bay Packers approach to free agency has changed this offseason. Instead of addressing major needs with players in their 20s who will likely be there for several years, GM Brian Gutekunst has added several older players who will likely be short-term replacements for players lost in free agency or via trades. But there is one specific position the team still needs to address with another veteran and that is at edge rusher/defensive end.
Neither of the Packers 2025 starters at defensive end will be on the active roster for Week 1 of this season. Gutekunst traded Rashan Gary to the Cowboys for a fourth-round pick. Obviously, Gary’s lack of production in the second half of last season and his very high salary made him a cut candidate. Gutekunst did well to get anything in return for him rather than just cutting him outright.
The other starter, Micah Parsons, will likely start 2026 on the PUP list as he rehabs from his torn ACL that he suffered in Denver last December. Even if somehow, Parsons is on the active roster to start the season, he will likely be on a play count and not be ready for full-time duty.
The Packers also opted to allow Kingsley Enagbare, the third defensive end on the depth chart last season, to depart in free agency. Enagbare signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the New York Jets. While it would not have made sense for the Packers to pay Enagbare that amount of money to stay, his loss leaves the team with a noticeable lack of depth at defensive end/edge rusher.
Lukas Van Ness would be the presumptive starter at one spot. The former Iowa star is a former first-round pick, but he, too, is unproven and has only started two games in his first three NFL seasons. The Packers hope Van Ness produces this year as he takes on a bigger role, but it’s unclear if he will be productive. If he gets injured during the preseason, the Packers could be in even more trouble.
In addition, the Packers lack a clear-cut candidate to start on the other side. Presently, second-year players like Barryn Sorrell and Collin Oliver would be the players the Packers have to fill that need. Neither has much experience nor have they proven they are ready to start in the NFL.
Sorrell saw more action as a rookie, playing in 14 games and starting the season finale against the Vikings. Even with that start, he still played just 20 percent of the Packers defensive snaps in those 14 games. He recorded 1.5 sacks and 15 total tackles including one tackle for loss.
Oliver played just one game after spending most of the season on PUP list. He showed promise in that game, the Week 18 loss to the Vikings, making one tackle for loss and recording two quarterback hits, but was still on the field for just 31 defensive plays.
The Packers could certainly use a veteran presence at defensive end. It doesn’t have to be a long-term commitment or even a standout player. But somebody who could serve as a bridge to start until Parsons is ready to return and to play a full game and somebody who could perhaps mentor players like Sorrell and Oliver for one season until they’re ready to assume a bigger role.
The Packers will likely address edge rusher or defensive end in the draft this year, but again, the Packers don’t have a first-round pick this season or next. Also, most rookie pass rushers need some time to adjust to the speed and talent of the NFL game before they’re ready to make an impact.
Adding a low-cost veteran on a one-year deal would make sense for the Packers and would not have a major impact on the team’s compensatory draft picks for 2027. Whether Gutekunst will address this need via free agency or a trade remains to be seen, but the team lacks proven talent to open the season at this vital position, and it must be addressed somehow before the start of the 2026 campaign.
Filed Under: FeaturedGil Martin
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You can follow Gil Martin on Twitter @GilPackers
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NFL Categories: Green Bay PackersTags: Green Bay PackersLukas Van NessMicah ParsonsCollin OliverBarryn Sorrell
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