Packers rookie defensive lineman Barryn Sorrell hasn’t gotten much attention this season. He hasn’t gotten many reps, either, but he made an impact in his 11 snaps Sunday against the Bears. His performance earned him a spot in the top five PFF-graded members of the Green Bay defense.
Sorrell’s solid play on Sunday offers glimpse of potential
Via Jacob Morley of Packer Report, Sorrell ranked fourth among Packers’ defenders with a 67.8 PFF grade for his play on the defensive line. Every other member of the top five – led by Keisean Nixon and his game-clinching pick – belonged to the secondary.
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Sorrell hasn’t been a regular, but the Texas rookie has flashed promise in his limited chances. His small sample size on the field hasn’t produced much in the way of box score stats. In 12 games, he has six tackles, half a sack, and two quarterback hits. As a result, his play is better evaluated via the eye test and holistic metrics like PFF grade.
Not surprisingly for a rookie, Sorrell has been up and down. Sunday was one of the ups. Overall this season, PFF gives him a score of 54.2.
In the draft, the Packers saw enough in Sorrell to take him in the fourth round, 124th overall. At Texas, he transitioned from linebacker to defensive end following his freshman season. Over three seasons at the position, he compiled 15.5 sacks in 43 games, along with 24.5 tackles for loss.
A somewhat under-the-radar selection, Sorrell hasn’t had consistent opportunities during the season. Sunday was one of five instances in which he has taken the field for double-digit snaps on defense. Injuries to Lukas Van Ness have created more of an opening than there would be otherwise, but still, Sorrell has had to fight for scraps. He saw a season-high in playing time against the Cardinals in Week 7, when he played 39.5% of defensive snaps.
He’s shown enough, though, as he did against the Bears, that the Packers should remain interested in seeing what they have in Sorrell down the stretch this year and into his sophomore season.
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