It truly is lying season. General manager Brian Gutekunst has made a point on multiple occasions that the Green Bay Packers don’t need to add pass-rush help.
He doubled down on that take following Day 2, again praising the players already on the roster.
It turns out that Gutekunst agreed with the rest of us, after all. The Packers kicked off Day 3 with the brilliant move to draft Texas pass-rusher Barryn Sorrell.
Sorrell had six sacks and 11 tackles for loss last season and can make an instant impact in Jeff Hafley’s defense. He checks so many boxes for the Packers. Unsurprisingly, he is an elite athlete, earning a Relative Athletic Score of 9.31 out of 10.
He has slipped under the radar and could prove to be one of the best selections of the draft. Sorrell could’ve gone much earlier, which is why he stayed in the green room throughout the draft.
“Sorrell was voted the American Team’s top D-lineman during Senior Bowl practice week. Now it makes more sense,” writes Matt Schneidman of The Athletic.
The Packers love to add players who perform well at the Senior Bowl. They made a similar move with second-rounder Anthony Belton, who many viewed as a reach. Belton also dominated at the Senior Bowl.
The one player the Sorrell pick impacts the most? Lukas Van Ness.
Packers put Lukas Van Ness on notice with brilliant Barryn Sorrell pick
The Packers selected Van Ness with the 13th pick two years ago, but he is already under pressure. Van Ness has yet to start a game in Green Bay and has produced underwhelming results for a rare Packers pick in the top 15.
There’s still time for the Iowa product to turn things around, but the Sorrell pick cranks up the pressure.
Van Ness lost snaps to undrafted Brenton Cox Jr. last season, and Sorrell’s ability to make an instant impact could eat into his opportunities even more.
It’s a huge, make-or-break season for Van Ness. The Packers were fine giving him time to develop behind Rashan Gary and Preston Smith, but they need results this season, especially if this team has any hopes of entering Super Bowl contention.
Sorrell is a steal for the Packers in the fourth round. Don’t be surprised if he pushes Van Ness for playing time from Day 1.
