Most of the discussion around the Green Bay Packers this week has been centered around the offense. However, the team could see a few small tweaks to the defense as well. The combination of rookie fourth-round pick Dani Dennis-Sutton looking solid in his NFL debut and Lukas Van Ness being a bit banged up this week could lead to the team giving Dennis-Sutton more work in Week 2.
Wendell Ferreira of A to Z Sports projects an increase in snaps whether Van Ness is healthy or not.
“With Van Ness recovering from a concussion and being limited in practice, the Packers first have to wait and see if he will actually be able to play,” wrote Ferreira. “Even if Van Ness does suit up, it’s reasonable to expect a lesser workload because he didn’t practice at full capacity throughout the week. That opens the door for Dennis-Sutton, who performed decently well against the Vikings rushing the edge with a high floor in his rookie season, to play more snaps and become a more important part of the rotation. If Van Ness cannot play, the increase in snaps for Dennis-Sutton should be significant.”
Van Ness has practiced for three straight days. He will still have his status determined closer to the game, but right now it looks like he will play. There is still a chance for Dennis-Sutton to see the field more.
Green Bay Packers Could Play Rookie Dani Dennis-Sutton More in Week 2
Van Ness might be eased back and not take on as many snaps. Still, the Packers rookie from Penn State was also fourth in the rotation of edge rushers. So, there are other ways for him to see more snaps.
In Week 1, Van Ness played 66% of the snaps. Meanwhile, Barryn Sorrell played 62%, Brenton Cox played 42%, and Dennis-Sutton played 32%.
It is fair to mention that Dennis-Sutton is the only one of the three who did not record a pressure. Still, the other three had more chances, and even with three pressures, Cox did not have a great game.
If the Packers reduced the snaps of Van Ness a touch and switched Dennis-Sutton and Cox, it would end up being a significant increase for the rookie.
Packers Have a Role For Dennis-Sutton
The issue appears to be that the Packers see Dennis-Sutton as the backup to Van Ness. These two are longer and more athletic and can both rush from the inside. Van Ness slid inside for nine of his 42 snaps in Week 1. Dennis-Sutton slid inside to rush on 3 of his 21 snaps.
Meanwhile, Cox and Sorrell strictly rushed from the edges. So, while Dennis-Sutton could be more impactful than Cox, the team is going to rotate Sorrell out more than Van Ness. Meanwhile, they want Dennis-Sutton ready for when Van Ness does come off the field. That is why Cox and Sorrell combined for 65 snaps, which is the total number of defensive snaps.
His playing time could end up being more tied to Van Ness than expected. We will see how healthy Van Ness is and how much we see Dennis-Sutton.
Packers Rookie Poised for Bigger Role After Week 1