In-House, Free Agent, Draft Replacements for Rashan Gary After Trade

A saga that began late Friday afternoon when he posted his own release is over. The longest tenured member of the Green Bay Packers, Rashan Gary, was traded to the Dallas Cowboys on Monday.

Gary was supposed to reach new heights with the acquisition of Micah Parsons in late August, but never discovered his peak form and failed to make an impact play once the calendar turned to November.

Instead of trying to run it back for one more season to try and squeeze more juice out of Gary to form that dynamic duo Brian Gutekunst envisioned when he traded for Parsons, the Packers will be looking at new ways to upgrade their pass rushing group.

The question now shifts from how the Packers are going to get more out of Gary to how the Packers are going to replace him.

With Parsons likely to miss the early portion of the season with a torn ACL suffered in late December against the Denver Broncos, the edge rushing group is looking a little thin. Kingsley Enagbare is a free agent, and if he does not return, the Packers would be starting Lukas Van Ness and Barryn Sorrell for Week 1.

So, how can the Packers replace some of the production and snaps that Gary brought to the table?

Here are some potential options for in-house replacements, free agency and the draft.

In-House: Barryn Sorrell

In terms of true one-for-one replacements, Sorrell is really the only candidate on the roster that makes sense to replace Gary. Collin Oliver is also on the roster, but his smaller frame and skill-set would not hold up as an every-down player. The Packers themselves said they viewed him as more of a designated pass rusher than an every-down defensive end.

Sorrell is a different story. He was in and out of the lineup last year, occasionally losing a roster spot for special teams purposes, even if he was healthy.

Green Bay Packers defensive linemen Barryn Sorrell (99) and Nazir Stackhouse celebrate a play against the Arizona Cardinals. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

He did, however, have a strong finish to the regular season with a big game in the season finale against the Minnesota Vikings. Sorrell notched his first full sack on the game and recovered a fumble forced by Brenton Cox.

As a fourth-round pick, it’d probably be a lot to ask Sorrell to be an every-down player, which should up the urgency for the Packers to find a true replacement if they’re serious about contending for a championship in 2026.

Free Agent: Haason Redick

Haason Redick was arguably the biggest star of Jonathan Gannon’s defense in 2022 when the Philadelphia Eagles rode a powerful pass rush all the way to Super Bowl LVII.

Redick was the team’s leader in sacks with 16 that year and was dominant in the playoffs, including a huge performance in the NFC Championship against the San Francisco 49ers. Redick had two sacks and a forced fumble as the Eagles rolled through the 49ers into the Super Bowl.

Redick would follow up his strong debut season in Philadelphia with another double-digit sack season, taking down the quarterbacks 11 times in his final season with the Eagles.

Redick has struggled to recapture that magic since moving on from the Eagles with both the Jets and the Buccaneers. Redick has just 3.5 sacks in the last two seasons, but could see a chance to reunite with Gannon as an opportunity to resurrect his career.

The Packers could see Redick as a cheap reclamation project who easily slides into a reserve role as a designated pass rusher. The biggest question could be whether the Packers would be willing to roster two small edge defenders with Collin Oliver likely to play a more prominent role in his second season.

Free Agent: Joey Bosa

A few weeks ago, we talked about pass rushers who could be chasing championships and looking to give a title contender a boost. Joey Bosa certainly fits that model as a productive player in Buffalo in 2025 who will be a free agent.

Bosa had 47 pressures and five sacks for the Bills, finishing 22nd in pass-rush win rate. Bosa’s issue in his career has rarely been production but rather a struggle to stay healthy. He’s missed 43 games in his career due to various ailments but has not missed more than three games over the last two years.

With the potential for fewer snaps once Parsons returns from his injury, Bosa could thrive as a secondary edge rusher behind Parsons and Lukas Van Ness. Bosa also has the reputation of a player who has a high motor, something that the Packers could use on defense after questions emerged about the man he’d be replacing.

Free Agent: Jadeveon Clowney

Jadeveon Clowney might be the ultimate mercenary at this stage of his career, the former number one overall pick has played with four different teams in the last four years, most recently with the Dallas Cowboys.

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (42) and safety Donovan Wilson (6) tackle Giants running back Devin Singletary. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

He has still, however, been a productive player, coming off a season with 8.5 sacks, and has taken the quarterback down at least 5.5 times each of the last four years.

Clowney had some positional versatility with the ability to kick inside on passing downs, which is something they’ve liked to do in the past.

At this stage of his career, Clowney is more likely to look to chase a championship than he is a guaranteed starting role, which would not be available in Green Bay.

Free Agent: Dante Fowler Jr.

Before the Packers traded for Parsons, ESPN reported the Packers were monitoring the market of Dante Fowler Jr. before he ultimately signed in Dallas. Perhaps that interest could be rekindled as someone to help stand in for Parsons and replace Gary.

Fowler had a quiet season in Dallas with just 3.5 sacks as the Cowboys attempted to replace Parsons’ production. In 2024, however, Fowler reached 10.5 sacks and returned an interception for a touchdown.

Fowler is another player who is not likely to look for a starting role on the field, but could be a solid rotational rusher with Sorrell and Oliver once Parsons returns to full health.

Draft: Second Round – Gabe Jacas, Illinois

Would the Packers really take a pass rusher with their second-round pick? If they move on from Kingsley Enagbare in free agency, it’s certainly possible. Brian Gutekunst has never shied away from adding a pass rusher when he’s felt they were the best player available.

For example, he drafted Gary after signing Za’Darius and Preston Smith in 2019. He’s used another top-15 pick on Lukas Van Ness. Pass rushers are always going to be a priority.

Illinois Fighting Illini linebacker Gabe Jacas (17) celebrates his sack on Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis. | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Gabe Jacas is projected to be a second-round pick, ranking 58th on the consensus big board for the NFL Draft.

He had 11 sacks and three forced fumbles for the Fighting Illini as a senior. He finished his college career with 27 sacks. He’s productive, if nothing else. Athletically, he did not run any of the drills at the Scouting Combine, but threw up 30 reps on the bench press, showing off the play strength that followed him in college. Gutekunst loves power rushers, so Jacas could certainly be another to add to his arsenal.

Draft: Third Round – Malachi Lawrence, UCF

Malachi Lawrence was one of the smaller-school players who blew up at the Scouting Combine with a 4.52 40-yard-dash and 40-inch vertical jump. Lawrence showed enough athleticism to prove he belonged with the best players on the field and was productive as a college player. He had 12 sacks and three forced fumbles over the last two seasons and 20 sacks in his career.

He has enough athleticism to make him an interesting proposition as a rotational rusher, which is all the Packers are looking for.

Draft: Day 3 – Caden Curry, Ohio State

Caden Curry was one of the men tasked with replacing Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau, and Curry was certainly up to the challenge. His breakout season saw him sack the quarterback 11 times after never having more than 2.5 in a season for the first three years of his career.

Curry has a high motor and always plays through the echo of the whistle, which could bode well for a team with Parsons challenging his teammates to race him to the quarterback.

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