Parsons admitted that he didn\u2019t think it was realistic<\/a> for him to be fully cleared in time for the regular-season opener, which figures to be Sept. 13 or 14.<\/p>\n\u201cFor most of my life, I\u2019ve felt invincible \u2014 never really sustaining a major injury before,\u201d Parsons said at the time. \u201cI kind of live my life like that, and I’ve played like that \u2014 until I wasn’t invincible anymore.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just want to be at a really good spot. So far, they say I’m \u2018flying,\u2019 so whatever that means. There’s a timing standpoint they want, but I don’t think I’ll be on IR \u2014 I would say that \u2014 to start the season. I think lofty, [so] I’d be saying Week 1, but realistically, probably like Week 3, Week 4, just to make sure and just getting back into [real] football, just practicing hard and getting ready to sustain, taking my body through what I go through.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
With Parsons unlikely to be ready for Week 1, the Packers are even thinner on the edge \u2014 with new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon set to shift the defense from a 4-3 base to a 3-4 \u2014 than they would be with their superstar fully healthy after trading 2019 first-round pick Rashan Gary to the Cowboys and watching Kingsley Enagbare leave as a free agent.<\/p>\n
Lukas Van Ness, the team\u2019s 2023 first-round pick who appears unlikely to receive the fifth-year option on his rookie contract from the Packers by the NFL\u2019s May 1 deadline, would start on one side, while the next men up would be Brenton Cox, Barryn Sorrell and Collin Oliver \u2014 all of whom look up to Parsons.<\/p>\n
Now they need to play up to the standard he sets.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you acquire a player, you never really 100% know when they enter your environment how that\u2019s going to be,\u201d Gutekunst said. \u201cI couldn\u2019t be happier with how he\u2019s embraced Green Bay, embraced his teammates, the leadership he\u2019s shown. He\u2019s all-football. I think that\u2019s the thing for me that\u2019s been exciting to see where he\u2019s going to go as a Green Bay Packer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Packers depth chart<\/p>\n
1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Micah Parsons\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 6-3\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 250\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 26\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 6\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Penn State<\/p>\n
90\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lukas Van Ness\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 6-5\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 272\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 24\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 4\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Iowa<\/p>\n
57\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Brenton Cox Jr.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 6-4\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 250\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 26\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 4\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Florida<\/p>\n
99\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Barryn Sorrell\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 6-3\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 256\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 23\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Texas<\/p>\n
53\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Arron Mosby\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 6-3\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 250\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 27\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 4\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Fresno State<\/p>\n
45\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Collin Oliver\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 6-2\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 240\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 23\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Oklahoma State<\/p>\n
Best in class | David Bailey, Texas Tech.<\/p>\n
The 6-foot-4, 251-pound Bailey spent his first three college seasons at Stanford \u2014 and earned his degree in science, technology and society in those three years \u2014 before transferring to Texas Tech and having a breakout season in 2025 with an FBS-leading 14.5 sacks.<\/p>\n
Bailey, though, might also lead college football in self-awareness, given the way he views his game as the draft approaches \u2014 knowing he has much to learn and much to improve upon.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’m known as a pass rusher,\u201d Bailey said. \u201cI definitely do need improve on the run game, also just becoming a student of the game, expanding my knowledge of football in general.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I can do that. I was doing that at Stanford for about two years. So I’m comfortable in that position. I feel confident my ability. I’m just wanting to do anything. I mean, I feel like I’ll be able to adapt.\u201d<\/p>\n
Next men up | Arvell Reese, Ohio State; Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (Fla.); Keldric Faulk, Auburn; Akheem Mesidor, Miami (Fla).; T.J. Parker, Clemson; Malachi Lawrence, Central Florida.<\/p>\n
Pick to click | Romello Height, Texas Tech.<\/p>\n
Bailey\u2019s runningmate in Lubbock was Height, who came to Green Bay on one of the Packers\u2019 30 allotted in-person pre-draft visits. The 6-foot-3, 239-pound Height turned 25 earlier this week, after a circuitous college route to the NFL.<\/p>\n
Height played six seasons at four different schools \u2014 starting out at Auburn, transferring to USC for two years, spending 2024 at Georgia Tech and, finally, landing at Texas Tech after the Raiders\u2019 NIL-fueled defensive overhaul.<\/p>\n
He recorded 9.5 sacks playing alongside Bailey and is a likely third-round pick.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust continuing to stack days, trying to perfect my craft,\u201d Height said at his on-campus pro day when asked what he must do to succeed in the NFL. “Going out, doing film work, living in the training room, staying on top of my body. It\u2019s just the little things to be able to go out and execute at a high level.”<\/p>\n
History lesson | In their combined 21 drafts in charge, Ted Thompson (2005-\u201917) and Gutekunst (2018-present) have have invested five first-round picks on defensive ends\/outside linebackers: USC\u2019s Clay Matthews in 2009 (No. 26 overall); USC\u2019s Nick Perry in 2012 (No. 28 overall); UCLA\u2019s Datone Jones in 2013 (No. 26 overall); Michigan\u2019s Gary in 2019 (No. 12 overall); and Iowa\u2019s Van Ness in 2023 (No. 13 overall).<\/p>\n
Matthews is a Packers Hall of Famer and the franchise\u2019s all-time sack leader; Perry was an up-and-down player during his seven seasons in Green Bay; Jones was a disappointment with only nine sacks in 59 games across four seasons with the Packers; Gary never had a double-digit sack total in his career and didn\u2019t have a sack over the final 10 games of the season; and Van Ness is heading into a make-or-break Year 4 in the league.<\/p>\n
With no first-round pick to pair with Parsons in 2026, the Packers will have to find an impact edge player later on in the draft after moving on from Gary and managing to extract a fourth-round 2027 pick for Gary from the Cowboys.<\/p>\n
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