Lukas Van Ness is enjoying a true breakout season, Dani Dennis-Sutton looks like one of the best picks in the 2026 NFL draft, Barryn Sorrell has improved considerably in Year 2 and All-Pro Micah Parsons is just weeks away from returning. Things are looking quite well for the edge rushers of the Green Bay Packers at the midway point of 2026.
And that's without mentioning the unexpected emergence of Brenton Cox Jr. as a legitimate disruptor for Jonathan Gannon's defense over the last month.
Per Next Gen Stats, Cox has 16 pressures and six quick pressures over 81 pass-rushing snaps across the last four games. Last week, he created six pressures and had a sack of Bryce Young. His pressure rate is 19.8 percent over the last month and 16.2 percent over the entire
2026 season.
Per PFF, Cox produced the 14th best pass-rushing grade and 16th best overall defense grade among qualifying NFL edge rushers between Weeks 5-8. He is playing at a starter's level.
Through eight games, Cox has a career-high 21 pressures and 18 stops, per Next Gen Stats. He ranks third on the Packers defense in pressures and fifth in stops. Who could have expected that entering the 2026 season?
Once Parsons returns, most likely in Week 12 against the Rams, the Packers are going to have a deep, talented group of edge rushers to throw at quarterbacks during a playoff run. Parsons may be the tip of the spear, but Cox's emergence -- teamed with the breakouts of Van Ness and Dennis-Sutton-- should help ensure the Packers don't need to overload the All-Pro early on.
Per @NextGenStats, #Packers are the only team with 3 qualifying edge rushers with a pressure rate of at least 15%.
— Zach Kruse (@zachkruse2) November 5, 2026
Dani Dennis-Sutton, 19.5%
Lukas Van Ness, 17.6%
Brenton Cox Jr., 16.2%
And Micah Parsons (20.2% pressure rate last season) is on his way back.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers' Brenton Cox Jr. emerges as disruptor over last month
