Sunday is a testing ground for the Packers’ thin edge-rush room

# Situation overview

Lukas Van Ness was listed as questionable after limited practice work. If he can't play Sunday versus the New York Jets, Green Bay's experienced edge-rush depth will be severely reduced.

On the active 53-man roster the only other edge defenders are Barryn Sorrell (cleared to play after a foot issue limited him), Brenton Cox Jr., and rookie Dani Dennis-Sutton. The group has very little combined starting experience.

# Why this matters numerically

Including the 2025 regular season and playoffs (excluding one Week 18 JV game), these were the Packers' edge-rusher snap totals: Micah Parsons 707 (on PUP), Rashan Gary 697 (traded), Kingsley Enagbare 521 (on the other team for Week 2), Van Ness 310 (questionable with a concussion), Sorrell 154, Cox 39. If Van Ness does not play, the team loses players who delivered nearly all of the 2025 edge snaps.

# Immediate choices for Sunday

• Start the available 2025 EDGE5 and EDGE6 figures. Those backups could draw starting reps even though they haven't started much previously. Cox, for example, played four snaps in the playoff game last year.

# What to expect on the field

Expect the defensive play-calling to tilt toward matchups and schematic help for inexperienced edge players. That will include more rotation to keep fresh bodies on the edge, more linebacker-usage on the edge, and more package concepts where interior pressure and coverage schemes mask pass-rush deficiencies.

# Concrete short-term implications

• Sunday will provide more evaluation data for the young Pass Rushers. Whether they perform, struggle, or show incremental progress, coaches and evaluators will get more NFL snaps to judge development.

• The roster could change after the game. A short-handed edge room makes a practice-squad promotion likely either before kickoff or soon after if Van Ness is inactive or limited.

• Defensive alignment and play-call balance could shift toward quicker drop-coverages and more inside pressure to hide edge inexperience.

# What to watch during the game

• Which players get the first-series snaps at the two outside-rush spots if Van Ness is inactive.
• How often Edgerrin Cooper lines up on the edge and whether those packages replace traditional edge-rusher snaps.
• Any practice-squad or in-season additions activated for depth (names, snap counts, and early impact plays).