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The Green Bay Packers open training camp on Wednesday, July 29, marking the unofficial start of the 2026 season for Matt LaFleur's team. After a third straight playoff appearance but another disappointing postseason failure, the Packers are hoping to finally get over the hump in 2026. The process begins in full on July 29.
Packers Wire will go position by position previewing the roster, highlighting battles to watch, the things that actually matter and young players to monitor this summer.
Here is our training camp preview of the edge rushers:
On the roster (8)
- Micah Parsons
- Lukas Van Ness
- Barryn Sorrell
- Collin Oliver
- Brenton Cox Jr.
- Arron Mosby
- Dani Dennis-Sutton
- Nyjalik Kelly
Positional breakdown
The transition to a base 3-4 under Jonathan Gannon begins without the star piece, Micah Parsons, who continues to rehab and recover from ACL repair surgery but is not expected to participate during training camp. Without Parsons on the practice field, a group of promising young players has a big chance to prove they can take on the challenge ahead during training camp. Lukas Van Ness, Barryn Sorrell, Collin Oliver and Dani Dennis-Sutton, all recent draft picks, must lead the way until Parsons is 100 percent and back to his gameplan-wrecking ways. The development of the depth behind Parsons is absolutely vital this summer. The group needs to both hold down the fort early in the season -- providing enough pass-rush to keep Gannon's defense competitive -- and then stay productive once Parsons returns to ensure the Packers have a championship-quality ability to rush the quarterback, especially with question marks abound at cornerback. Green Bay let Rashan Gary and Kingsley Enagbare go this offseason to open up opportunities for others. It's time to take advantage, starting at camp. -- Zach Kruse
What to watch: Can Lukas Van Ness rise to the occasion?
The stakes have never been higher for Van Ness, who will be the Packers’ top edge rusher entering 2026 while Micah Parsons recovers from a knee injury. He has had some moments over the past three seasons, but not the production of a former 13th overall pick. Last season, a foot injury limited Van Ness to just nine games, but he did manage to generate 27 pressures on only 178 pass-rushing snaps. That momentum carried over to the offseason program, where he was mentioned as one of the top performers. This is a crucial time for Van Ness, as the Packers need him to be a more consistent disrupter when he’s on the field and finally show why he was a high first-round selection. After picking up his fifth-year option, it’s clear the team still has hope he can put it all together. -- Brandon Carwile
What actually matters: Who steps up in Parsons' absence?
Micah Parsons is set to miss a chunk of the regular season as he works his way back from knee surgery, leaving a gaping hole in Green Bay’s pass rush. Lukas Van Ness is looking to truly break out in year four after some encouraging performances a season ago, while the likes of Barryn Sorrell, Dani Dennis-Sutton, Brenton Cox Jr and Collin Oliver fight for snaps which will be up for grabs to start the 2026 campaign. It is crucial Van Ness makes good on his promising 2025 season and at least one other player proves themself worthy of holding down the fort until Parsons is back in action. Training camp will provide us with a look at how the Packers’ gaggle of young pass rushers are coming along. -- Mark Oldacres
Young player to watch: Barryn Sorrell
With Micah Parsons sideline to start the season, all eyes will be on former first-round pick Lukas Van Ness. Likely starting opposite of him to start the season will be last year’s fourth round pick, Barryn Sorrell. The former Texas Longhorn is a stout run defender who improved each season as a pass rusher, but is he ready to play a prominent role for a team with Super Bowl aspirations? His progress throughout the summer will be a thing to watch. There is no concern with his ability to make plays against the run. The question is can he provide juice as a pass rusher? Or will he have to come off the field for a more explosive player like Collin Oliver? If Sorrell can develop into an impact player, the Packers could be feeling great about their pass rush stable when Parsons returns. -- Brennen Rupp
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers training camp preview: Can young edge rushers rise to the challenge?
