GREEN BAY – In the current transfer-mad world of college football, Dani Dennis-Sutton didn't go anywhere else.

The edge rusher stayed at Penn State all four years, worked behind and alongside a pair of first-round draft picks, and wound up a fourth-round pick of the Packers on Saturday, at No. 120 overall.

"It helps, I think with a guy that shows – especially at a place like Penn State – his commitment there to them was strong," said Packers director of player personnel John Wojciechowski shortly after Green Bay drafted Dennis-Sutton. "He was able to develop under a system there."

He also learned from Penn State star pass rushers Chop Robinson and Abdul Carter, highly touted first-round choices in 2024 and '25, respectively. Dennis-Sutton believes that served him well.

"I feel like it did," he said. "Obviously I played with a bunch of NFL guys and legit guys, so I think it was good for me to learn behind those guys, and then obviously my past two years starting I had a really good career there.

"I felt like it taught me a lot as far as how to earn my way, earn my right to be on the field and be a star. Yeah, I think it benefitted me as opposed to transferring because I'm behind two legit guys. I don't know if I'd be the same guy I am today."

Dennis-Sutton (6-5 3/8, 256) may not have had the first-round pedigree of his predecessors, but he put together an impressive career in his own right.

Becoming a full-time starter in 2024, his third year with the Nittany Lions, he recorded double-digit tackles for loss each of the last two seasons (13 and 12), with 8½ sacks both years.

Another Penn State alum, Micah Parsons, gave Dennis-Sutton a shout out on social media as soon as the Packers selected him. It's an exciting thought for Dennis-Sutton to be joining Parsons with the Packers, while opportunity is knocking as well.

Parsons isn't likely to be back from his knee injury for the start of the 2026 season, and Green Bay lost edge rushers Rashan Gary (trade) and Kingsley Enagbare (free agency) in the offseason.

"Micah's a well-rounded player and he's the best in the league, right? So any advice that I can get from him, implement in my game and have it translate into my game I will take," Dennis-Sutton said.

Given Dennis-Sutton's college production, Wojciechowski was pleasantly surprised he was still available past the midway point of the fourth round. His athletic testing (4.63 in the 40, 39½-inch vertical) "reinforced" what the Packers saw on the game film with room to keep improving as a pass rusher.

Some other traits stood out, too. One was the ability to force fumbles, a total of seven over the last three seasons.

"Players like that seem to just have a knack," Wojciechowski said. "He's able to defeat blocks. It's uncanny of how some of those guys just know where the ball is, and they attack it, whether it be with their fists or the helmet."

He also led the entire FBS last season with three blocked punts, which for Dennis-Sutton was just an extension of his pass-rush abilities. He credited his special teams coaches at Penn State for helping refine his pass rush into punt rush.

"On punt, usually you've got one guy trying to block you, so if you beat that one guy and then you beat the shield (you can) block the kick," Dennis-Sutton said. "You just pass rush, beat my guy and then instead of sacking the quarterback, just put my hands on the foot."

All told, Dennis-Sutton played in 55 games over four years at Penn State, including his final bowl game when many draft prospects opt out and look to their future.

"I love and I need football," he said. "Football to me has always been an outlet. It's been something for me to express who I am. Anybody who knows me, I'm very emotional and exciting guy, so football's a way for me to express that and have fun.

"My favorite time of the day is when I'm going out to football practice and playing on Saturdays, which will now be Sundays, and going out there and making plays. Yeah, I live and breathe football. It's something I've done since I was a little boy. I'm just excited now to do it for the Green Bay Packers."