Ranking Every Player on Packers Roster, Part 12: They’ll Help Replace Micah Parsons

Who is going to sack the quarterback without Micah Parsons?

That’s one of the most important questions for Green Bay Packers training camp. In Part 12 of our annual 91-to-1 roster rankings, we hit on two young players who might help the Packers get through the start of the season.

No. 40: LB Isaiah McDuffie

At this point last year, McDuffie was under contract for two seasons. He still is, thanks to his recent contract extension.

A sixth-round pick in 2021, McDuffie started eight games in 2023, all 17 games in 2024 and 12 games in 2025. From 2023 through 2025, he is one of only 19 linebackers with 85-plus tackles all three seasons. Over the past four seasons, he has missed only one game.

“Duff, he’s a person I kind of came in watching early on,” Parsons said last season after McDuffie had eight tackles, a half-sack and a pass breakup against Minnesota. “He was voted captain, he just does everything right. He just stays prepared for his opportunity. I got the back story that Coop (Edgerrin Cooper) came in here and took over the position, but a guy that stays focused, do all of that, doesn’t show no resentments.

“Kudos to him, man. That doesn't just talk about the football player – that's his character. So, shoutout to him, man. For real. That's big on character and understanding what type of player you have on your team and in the locker room. Locker room guys that you can keep building around – that's huge for him and us.”

The Packers moved back to a 3-4 defense, which means McDuffie probably will be on next-man-up duty behind Cooper and Zaire Franklin.

No. 39: G/C Jager Burton

Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Jager Burton snaps the ball during OTAs. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

During the second week of OTAs, coach Matt LaFleur echoed what his Lions counterpart, Dan Campbell, said about the offseason practices being conducted in pajamas. A week later, LaFleur set aside the proceed-with-caution approach when asked about Burton.

“Yeah, I see a really young guy that’s extremely coachable, athletic and is maximizing the most of his opportunities,” LaFleur said. “I think every practice he gets a little bit more comfortable, a little bit better, and he’s definitely going to be in the mix to compete for playing time this year.”

Chances are, the Packers will need him. Offensive linemen are tough guys. They also get injured. Burton, who started at guard and center at Kentucky before being the Packers’ fifth-round draft pick, could wind up being the universal interior backup. He ran with the starters at right guard (when Anthony Belton shifted to left tackle) and left guard (when Aaron Banks was sidelined for minicamp) during the offseason.

“I think that was an attractive piece to his game was that versatility and flexibility,” LaFleur said. “I think he’s got a chance to either, well, he’ll impact really any of the inside three positions.”

Burton credited his offensive line coach at Kentucky, Eric Wolford, for getting him ready for what could be his rookie-year reality.

“That’s something he always worked with us a lot at practice,” Burton said. “Randomly, one day, ‘So and so is down. Jager, you got to go to guard.’ I’m thankful for him getting me prepared for the moments that come up since I’ve gotten here. Just get comfortable with everything and learn the playbook as best as possible.”

No. 38: T/G Darian Kinnard

Offensive line depth is scarce around the NFL. That’s why the Packers sent a sixth-round pick to the Eagles last year for Darian Kinnard, who at the time had played in three games in three NFL seasons.

That turned out to be an excellent trade. Kinnard played in all 17 games with four starts. His 285 snaps on offense quadrupled his total with the Chiefs, who drafted him in the fifth round in 2022, and Eagles. Most of the playing time came in place of injured right tackle Zach Tom, but he also logged 68 snaps at tight end as a way to get around the absence of Tucker Kraft.

The Packers re-signed him this offseason to a one-year contract worth $2.75 million. He almost certainly will be the backup right tackle again. He could be the backup left tackle and right guard, too. And without a tight end to handle the heavy-duty blocking role, he figures to get a lot of work in that role, too.

No. 37: Edge Dani Dennis-Sutton

The Packers have significant questions on the edge, where Micah Parsons will miss the start of the season, Rashan Gary was traded to the Cowboys and Kingsley Enagbare signed with the Jets.

The Packers drafted Dennis-Sutton in the fourth round. He’s a potential steal considering his excellent production at Penn State, where he had 8.5 sacks and 13 tackles for losses as a junior, 8.5 sacks and 12 tackles for losses as a senior and four-year totals of 23.5 sacks, 34.5 TFLs and seven forced fumbles. Plus, he showed surprising athleticism at the Scouting Combine.

Dani Dennis-Sutton was drafted in round 4 with pick 120 in the 2026 draft class. He scored a 9.96 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 9 out of 2257 DE from 1987 to 2026.https://t.co/P8hlpVu0IO pic.twitter.com/GETVs1EQUW
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 25, 2026

Even if he’s a work in progress as a pass rusher, Dennis-Sutton should find an early role in gobbling up some of Enagbare’s snaps on run downs.

“I think we’ve got a really, really good football player,” Parsons said. “I knew he was good at Penn State. But I think specifically in this 3-4 system, he’s going to have a lot of success, just with his length, his speed, his violence that he plays with, he’s going to be a really good football player for us.”

No. 36: Edge Brenton Cox Jr.

Brenton Cox chases Caleb Williams during last year's Packers-Bears game. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last season, Parsons (12.5), Gary (7.5) and Enagbare (2.0) combined for 22 sacks. That’s a huge number. Who will pick up the slack?

One of those players needs to be Cox. In 2024, the Packers traded veteran pass rusher Preston Smith and Cox came out of the gates with four sacks in the next six games. Cox rushed the passer 97 times. Of the 130 edge rushers with at least that many opportunities, Cox trailed only Lions star Aidan Hutchinson in pass-rush productivity, a PFF metric that measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap.

He missed most of last season with a groin injury but had a sack in the finale at Minnesota.

“I would hope so,” Cox said at minicamp. “A lot of the guys have had to pick up the slack since Micah has been out. And, you know, that’s what we’re here to do. I definitely think I’m talented enough to pick up the slack and get to the quarterback.”

The Packers need him, making him one of the low-key keys to the season.

Here's our 25 most important Packers for the upcoming season, with quick-hitting looks at each player and links to full feature stories on those players, along with the start of the annual 91-to-1 series. ⬇️https://t.co/ezDAkl7vmd
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) July 17, 2026

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