Dani Dennis-Sutton Is A Classic Packers Draft Pick

Whenever we talk about how the Green Bay Packers approach the draft, a few tendencies become evident. They consistently prioritize traits like size, athleticism, and long-term upside over immediate need, which is exactly why Dani Dennis-Sutton feels like such an on-brand selection.

Dani Dennis-Sutton had a near-perfect 9.96 RAS, prototypical size, and three years of steady production at Penn State, including 8.5 sacks and double-digit tackles for loss in each of the past two seasons. Moreover, he’s the only player on record to post a 10’11” broad jump while also running a sub-6.9 three-cone.

That combination of elite traits and significant production against top competition usually pushes players into the Day 2 range, which aligns with his No. 70 spot on the consensus board. He would’ve made complete sense at pick 84 and likely wouldn’t have been a shock at 52, so landing that kind of profile early on Day 3 is outstanding value.

"Definitely,” Packers executive John Wojciechowski said on whether they were surprised Sutton was sitting on the board on Day 3. “For as productive as he was as a player in college and his ability — he still has upside to go with it — we were absolutely surprised."

Since 2015, only a handful of edge prospects have paired elite athletic testing — posting a Relative Athletic Score above 9.89 — with real pass-rush production, recording a pressure rate north of 17% in at least one college season. That list is as exclusive as it gets, featuring names like Myles Garrett, T. J. Watt, Montez Sweat, and Aidan Hutchinson, with Dennis-Sutton right there among them alongside Malachi Lawrence.

That kind of profile, with rare traits backed by tangible disruption, helps explain what stands out most to evaluators when they study his game. As Wojciechowski pointed out, it ultimately comes down to what he believes is Sutton’s best trait.

"Right now, I think rushing the passer,” he said. “He can chase them down, and he's got the length and the height to also just get in the passing lanes and block the quarterback from being able to see."

There’s still some uncertainty about Micah Parsons's return timeline. With Rashan Gary no longer in the picture, the Packers were left with Lukas Van Ness, Barryn Sorrell, and Collin Oliver as the primary options off the edge, so adding more depth to that room was a priority. Now the focus shifts to figuring out how the fourth-round pick fits into that rotation and where he can carve out an early role.

"I think he's an all-around player,” Wojciechowski said of the rookie. “We're looking for those all-around guys. It's really hard to say, 'OK, we drafted a guy to fit into this defense.' We're always looking for that guy that can do both, can fill in on either side."

Anyone who spent time watching Dani Dennis-Sutton could see how well he lines up with what Brian Gutekunst typically looks for in an edge rusher, so he always felt like a natural fit for the Packers.

It’s why seeing Green Bay call his name didn’t come as much of a surprise. He should be a fun player to develop, likely carving out early snaps on special teams while he grows into a bigger role defensively. Now, it’s just about whether he can take that upside and turn it into consistent production.