With an elite ability to get to the quarterback, Penn State defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton etched his name into the program’s football history books, as his 23.5 sacks rank sixth all-time by a Nittany Lion.

After being chosen in the fourth round (120th overall) Saturday by the Green Bay Packers during the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, Dennis-Sutton will now look to similarly harass quarterbacks at the next level.

Dennis-Sutton was the fourth Nittany Lion taken, following offensive linemen Vega Ioane (14th overall, Baltimore) and Drew Shelton (112th overall, Cowboys) plus quarterback Drew Allar (Steelers, 76th overall).

“My initial thing is just speed to power,” Dennis-Sutton said of his pass rushing abilities at the NFL Combine. “That’s how I like to start off games. See if guys can handle that power. But really, pass rushing is really simple. Get-off is the key. I think if you ask any pass rusher that, if you can get off the ball quicker than the offensive lineman and beat him to the spot, nine times out of 10, you’re going to get a sack or a pressure.”

Dennis-Sutton, who hails from Millsboro, Del., measured in at 6-foot-6 and 256 pounds at the NFL Combine. He ran a 4.62 40-yard dash and posted a 39.5-inch vertical jump.

At Penn State from 2022-25, he appeared in 55 games with 30 starts, recording 127 tackles (34.5 for loss) with seven forced fumbles and a pair of interceptions.

He earned third-team All-Big Ten honors twice (2023, 2025) and this past season, had 42 tackles (12 for loss) with 8.5 sacks.

Dennis-Sutton’s 2025 campaign mirrored what he did in 2024, when he posted 42 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.

This past season, as Penn State nosedived out of the national conversation, which got James Franklin fired in October, Dennis-Sutton demonstrated leadership, helping the Nittany Lions win their final four games, including the Pinstripe Bowl vs. Clemson, to finish 7-6.

Dennis-Sutton did not opt out of his final opportunity to put on a Nittany Lions jersey, instead recording four tackles with two sacks in his team’s 22-10 win over Clemson.

“It was pretty disappointing how the season went the first half, but I’m proud of the way me and the team rallied together the second half of the season and finished strong,” Dennis-Sutton said.

He also showed chops on special teams, as he blocked three punts last fall, which tied him with Jack Ham (1968) and Andre Collins (1989) for the most in a single season by a Penn State player.

NFL Draft guru Todd McShay described Dennis-Sutton as having “enough tools to develop into a full-time starter down the road.”