Dani Dennis-Sutton brings the potential for elite pressure to the Green Bay Packers' pass rush. After leading the Big Ten in disruptions, this fourth-round steal aims to ignite the Packers' defense.
We're officially 44 days from the start of the 2026 NFL season for the Green Bay Packers. Whether you're ready or not, football season is here.
The Packers kick off their 2026 season against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Sept. 13, from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Talk about pressure. The Vikings are certainly in a transitional place as a franchise, but getting going against an NFC North foe ratchets up the intensity of this season from the get-go.
It's a big season for the Packers. There's a belief that they're in a Super Bowl window right now, which means every single game is important. That means the intensity will be there in Week 2 at MetLife Stadium against the New York Jets and it will certainly be there in Week 3 against the Atlanta Falcons, when the Packers will play at Lambeau Field for the first time in 2026.
There's going to be a lot of proverbial ink spilled on this 2026 season and we here at PackersRoundtable hope that you spend as much time as possible with us talking about the ins and outs and ups and downs of the Packers.
As we prepare for the 2026 season, though, we're going to kick things off with a rankings series looking at the Top 50 Packers heading into the 2025 season.
At No. 44, we have EDGE Dani Dennis-Sutton
Ranking the Top 50 Packers Heading Into 2026: No. 44, Dani Dennis-Sutton
Green Bay Packers Dani Dennis-Sutton (51) during rookie minicamp Friday, May 1 2026, at the Don Hutson Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.The Packers selected EDGE Dani Dennis-Sutton with the 120th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
He's a former 5-star recruit who had a strong career with the Penn State Nittany Lions. Checking in at 6-foot-5, 261 pounds, he has good size, and he proved against Big Ten competition that he can be very productive.
Dennis-Sutton started for two seasons for the Nittany Lions, and he led the Big Ten in pressures per game last season with 3.8. He totaled 17 sacks and 25 tackles for loss in his junior and senior seasons combined.
In four collegiate seasons, he put up 127 total tackles (78 solo) 34.5 tackles for loss, 23.5 sacks, seven forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and eight passes defended.
That's the type of collegiate production you can take to the bank as a fourth-round pick, and that's why the Packers selected him. There's undoubtedly a world in which they project him playing across from fellow Nittany Lions' standout Micah Parsons.
2025 Synopsis:
Dennis-Sutton was a third-team All-Big Ten selection after notching 42 tackles (26 solo), 12 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, three pass breakups and three blocked punts.
Notable Quotables:
"I love and I need football. Football to me has always been an outlet. It's been something for me to express who I am. Anybody who knows me, I'm very emotional and exciting guy, so football's a way for me to express that and have fun." -Dani Dennis-Sutton
Projected role in 2026:
Dennis-Sutton is going to get a chance to work his way into the pass-rushing rotation, with Parsons expected to miss a good chunk of the season as he works his way back from a torn ACL.
Dennis-Sutton will be behind "veterans" like Lukas Van Ness and Brenton Cox Jr. and high-upside pass-rushers like Collin Oliver and Barryn Sorrell have a one year advantage on him as they head into year two. DDS could absolutely break his way onto the field as a pass-rusher, though, and at the very least, the Packers are going to use the heck out of him on special teams.
Previous Rankings:
