The Green Bay Packers are leaning heavily on their rookie defenders down the stretch, and with injuries thinning the depth chart, it's trial by fire for a few first-year players. Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s unit has seen a noticeable uptick in rookie reps over the last month, and while the results have been mixed-as you'd expect from young players thrust into bigger roles-there are flashes of promise that shouldn’t go unnoticed.
Let’s break down how three of those rookies-Warren Brinson, Nazir Stackhouse, and Barryn Sorrell-are progressing as the Packers navigate a critical stretch of the season.
DL Warren Brinson: Flashes of Disruption, Learning on the Fly
With Karl Brooks sidelined and Devonte Wyatt recently joining him on the injury list, Warren Brinson has been thrown into the fire. The sixth-round pick has seen his workload increase significantly, and while it hasn’t been all clean tape, there are some encouraging signs.
Against the run, Brinson has had moments where he looks like he belongs. Late in the Eagles game, with Philly trying to bleed the clock, Brinson fired his hands into the center and knocked him backward, forcing Saquon Barkley to bounce the run outside.
That’s textbook interior disruption. Similar instincts showed up against the Vikings, where he kept his eyes in the backfield while engaged with a blocker, then shed and made the tackle.
He even helped shut down a tight end sneak by TJ Hockenson-an unusual play call that Brinson sniffed out and helped stop.
In the Thanksgiving matchup with Detroit, Brinson again showed his awareness and quickness, crashing down the line to muddy up a designed run for Jahmyr Gibbs. He’s also held his ground better than expected at times when facing double teams-no small feat for a rookie interior lineman.
But it hasn’t been all positives. Brinson’s pad level and balance are still inconsistent.
There are reps where he gets driven off the ball, especially when facing combo blocks. At times, his aggression works against him-he’ll rush upfield too fast, lose leverage, or end up on the turf after playing too far over his toes.
One of his more glaring mistakes came on Jameson Williams’ touchdown, where Carrington Valentine missed the tackle. Brinson had a shot to clean it up but took a poor angle and didn’t show the urgency needed to recover. Plays like that highlight the gap between potential and reliability.
As a pass rusher, Brinson has had a few standout moments, including a five-pressure outing against Minnesota that featured his first career sack. He got to JJ McCarthy by working through traffic and finishing the play-something that’s easier said than done. He’s also shown the ability to stunt effectively and use an arm-over move to create pressure, though he’s missed a couple of clean-up opportunities due to slips or collisions, including one where he ran into a blitzing Edgerrin Cooper.
Brinson’s bull rush isn’t overwhelming at this stage, but he’s winning with effort and technique. That’s a good sign. The Packers aren’t asking him to be Devonte Wyatt, but if Brinson can continue to develop some consistency, he might carve out a meaningful role down the stretch.
DL Nazir Stackhouse: Quietly Carving Out a Role
Nazir Stackhouse isn’t logging many snaps-just over six per game since Week 10-but he’s making the most of his limited opportunities. Used almost exclusively in short-yardage and goal-line situations, the rookie has started to show why Green Bay values his size and strength in the trenches.
Against Minnesota, Stackhouse played a key role in blowing up a tight end sneak attempt, staying low and surging forward to disrupt the play. He was also on the field for the following fourth-down stop, helping the Packers get the ball back to the offense.
His most eye-catching play came on Thanksgiving, when he executed a textbook stack-and-shed to bring down Jahmyr Gibbs. That earned him a run stop-just his second of the season-but it was the kind of play that speaks to his potential as a situational run defender.
Stackhouse has consistently held the point of attack well when called upon. Whether or not his role expands with Wyatt out remains to be seen, but he’s showing enough in his limited snaps to suggest he can be trusted in key short-yardage spots.
DE Barryn Sorrell: Fewer Snaps, Subtle Progress
Barryn Sorrell’s playing time has dipped over the past month-just 26 defensive snaps in the last four games-but there’s been a slight shift in how the Packers are using him. While he hasn’t made many splash plays, the rookie edge rusher is getting more chances against the run, which might be a sign of growing trust from the coaching staff.
Since Week 10, 17 of his 30 total run defense snaps have come, and he’s looked solid in those reps. Sorrell has done a good job setting the edge, staying disciplined on the backside of plays, and shedding blocks to help contain runners. That’s the kind of dirty work that doesn’t show up on stat sheets but matters on film.
He did have one notable moment back in Week 10, when he hustled to get in Jalen Hurts’ face late in a play, but otherwise, his pass-rush impact has been minimal. That’s an area where he’ll need to grow if he wants a bigger role moving forward.
Bottom Line
The Packers’ rookie defenders are learning on the job, and while there have been growing pains, there’s also real development happening. Warren Brinson is showing flashes of disruptive ability, even if he’s still ironing out the details.
Nazir Stackhouse is making the most of his niche role as a short-yardage run stuffer. And Barryn Sorrell, though quieter lately, is gaining valuable experience and showing he can hold up against the run.
With injuries forcing these young players into bigger roles, the Packers are getting a glimpse of what the future might hold. The hope is that the lessons learned now will pay dividends not just in December, but in seasons to come.