Packers Edge Rusher and Linebacker Depth Chart Breakdown: Where We Really Stand
Packernet Podcast: Daily Green Bay Packers Podcast
AC Sports
4.7 • 524 Ratings
🗓️ 26 March 2026
⏱️ 45 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Ryan breaks down two critical position groups on the Packers' roster — edge rusher and linebacker — and the picture that emerges is more urgent than the fan base wants to admit. With Micah Parsons recovering from ACL surgery and Rashawn Gary gone to Dallas, the Packers are leaning on a depth chart full of question marks, and Ryan isn't sugarcoating it.
- Micah Parsons ACL reality check: Surgery was December 29. Standard recovery for a high-level pass rusher is 9–12 months, which realistically pushes full readiness deep into the 2026 season. Don't believe the "ahead of schedule" hype — there's a set floor, and the Packers know it.
- Lucas Van Ness fifth-year option: Ryan lands closer to "do it" than "don't" — but the uncertainty around Van Ness's ceiling, combined with a depleted edge room, makes this one of the most consequential decisions of the offseason.
- Linebacker depth: Edgerrin Cooper is the real deal and the long-term anchor. Zaire Franklin is a one-year bridge. The audition belongs to Tyron Hopper and Isaiah McDuffie — and Ryan makes clear what a McDuffie ceiling actually looks like.
- The bigger picture: Ryan lays out the stark reality — Gutekunst needs a draft class that actually contributes, because the gap between the starters and the depth at edge, linebacker, and several other positions is getting harder to ignore.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Ladies and gentlemen, welcome once again to the Packernet podcast. |
| 0:13.6 | I am your host and resident panelist. |
| 0:15.8 | As always, Ryan Shlip, check us out online. |
| 0:19.2 | Packernet.com. |
| 0:20.2 | Find me on Twitter Pack underscore dat-Aver. |
| 0:23.0 | Well, there's really no news or notes going on. There is some stuff, but very, very minor. |
| 0:29.7 | The Lions got a guard that I don't even know if he'd be starting. He hasn't really started |
| 0:33.5 | any time in his career, so I don't really think that's news and noteworthy. |
| 0:39.1 | We are starting to get a lot more NFL draft stuff, which is great. I'm looking at a lot of |
| 0:42.7 | Packers, the Packers feed, and aside from freaking basketball and nonsense that I'm going to start |
| 0:48.2 | blocking people for putting other sports in this stupid feed. |
| 0:57.8 | I think it is turning NFL draft, which I love. |
| 0:58.8 | I'm very, very excited. |
| 1:02.8 | There's a lot of content, even stuff that's not necessarily Packers-related, which is kind of stupid. |
| 1:04.6 | And it kind of goes to the point where I was hoping that at least Packer fans would |
| 1:08.8 | begin the process of starting to look at the draft a little |
| 1:11.6 | deeper. And I understand, like, if this is your, well, I don't know what you do if this is |
| 1:15.2 | kind of your first go around with the draft. Hopefully, you don't develop the bad habits |
| 1:20.5 | of becoming first round obsessed and really take a more holistic view. It's a lot. |
| 1:28.4 | You know, I mean, it's incredible where you feel like you've been looking at this for a long time. |
| 1:32.3 | And then you find a guy ranked inside the top 200. |
| 1:35.9 | And it's like I've never heard that guy's name of my life. |
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