Thinking about my theme for today's column, I'm reminded of the Simple Minds song referenced in the title where he asks, "will you call my name? Or will you walk on by? Thinking about the 2025 Green Bay Packers, they definitely did not call Mathew Golden's name enough. But for the purpose of this article, I'm going to focus more on the 2026 Packers and some overlooked or infrequently used players on the team who may need to be called upon to contribute more and plug some potential holes depending on how this offseason plays out.
If Rashan Gary doesn't return we have three players to consider.
Barryn Sorrell - From his first playing experience in preseason, Sorrell caught my eye with his pass rush ability, motor, aggressiveness and pursuit. He logged 206 snaps in 14 regular season games, 131 of which were in passing situations. What surprised me most was his play against the run, where he proved to be a sure tackler. Sorrell also has that intangible "want to" about him - you can never question his effort. He still has a lot to learn, but the Packers would be wise to make sure he is Edge #3 or #4 in the rotation after Micah and LVN if Gary is gone (which by the way, I expect but I'm not at all convinced it's a sure thing). I think there's little chance the Packers "forget" about Sorrell.
Brenton Cox Jr (RFA) - Unfortunately, after showing flashes in 2024, his 2025 season was pretty much wiped out after suffering an injury in the first game against the Lions. He wasn't able to return until Game 16 against the Bears and tallied a total of 83 snaps on the season, over half of which were in the final regular season game against the Vikings when most Packers starters were rested. Cox has never really been give a shot at consistent snaps (and that's not likely to change), but when he does play, he always seems to make his presence felt - be it via QB pressures, hits or even sacks. Looking back at 2024, Cox logged 187 snaps on the season, 112 in passing situations. His season stat line shows 18 QB pressures (4 sacks, 3 hits and 11 hurries), Extrapolate that out to the same number of pass rush snaps Rashan Gary had in 2024, and he would beat Gary in every category and be firmly in the double-digit sack range (13-15). I know extrapolating like that is just a mind exercise, but it's still food for thought. It was easy to forget about Cox last season, but could 2026 be the year the Packers remember he is on the roster and give him more chances?
Colin Oliver - A true mystery man, Oliver didn't see the field until the week 18 finale against the Vikings. He logged 31 snaps, 17 of which were against the pass where he recorded two QB hits. It was just a brief glimpse, but Oliver looked like what we've been told, a smaller pass-rush specialist with more speed and athleticism that what the Packers normally look for in their EDGE players. He has a long way to go to hold up in the run game, but in sure passing situations, I could see the Packers throwing him out there on the opposite edge from Micah with LVN inside as their base in 3-4 with the possibility of bringing pressure from elsewhere as well. It's possible Oliver could also help out as an off-ball coverage linebacker in certain situations, having had college experience in that role in 2023. The Packers won't "forget" about Oliver, but he won't be front and center in their thoughts, either.
Ty'ron Hopper - If Quay Walker is not re-signed, which I thoroughly expect, the Packers really don't have much of a backup plan. This might be the thinnest position group on the team with only Hopper and special team ace Nick Nieman behind Edgerrin Cooper and Isaiah McDuffie. Hopper was rarely seen in 2024 (18 total snaps) and while that number jumped to 133 in 2025, half of them were in the regular season finale against the Vikings. If that was supposed to be an opportunity for Hopper to flash the "potential" we keep hearing about, both he and the Packers were surely disappointed by his performance. If that was the best he can be, the Packers will likely be "forgetting" about him. I see ILB as a prime spot the Packers will target in free agency as well as the draft on day three.
Jacob Monk - Unless the Packers pony up for Sean Rhyan in free agency, Monk is the de facto starting center until the draft, where the Packers pretty much HAVE to draft a center. Let me just say that I am not Jacob Monk's biggest fan. When it happened, I was 100% flummoxed by the drafting of Monk. I just didn't see much at all in his tape that convinced me he was an NFL-caliber player, never mind starter or even primary backup. What little I've seen of him with the Packers hasn't done much to change my opinion. Unless he's hitting the weight room HARD this offseason, I don't think he can hold up in the trench wars and may end up a forgotten man.
Josh Whyle (RFA) - Whyle is a player that kind of put his hand up and got noticed by the Packers. He came to them in week 10, and earned snaps both because of injuries and also outplaying Luke Musgrave at times. He logged 199 snaps over nine games and did whatever the Packers asked of him, including something he had previously struggled with - blocking. I remember Whyle as one of my mid-round TE favorites in the 2023 draft - a year the Packers need to draft at the position and did so twice, picking up Musgrave and Kraft on Day Two of that draft. Whyle was selected in round five (pick 147) and his profile was one of a pass-catching TE. When he came to the Packers, Musgrave held that role and after getting off to a slow start in the blocking department, Whyle improved over the last 4-5 games to where you could almost call him "reliable." When the Packers did throw the ball to Whyle, he didn't disappoint, catching six of seven targets, including one for a touchdown. I think Whyle may have found the right situation for himself here in Green Bay and won't be forgotten by the Packers when it comes to re-signing him.
Kamal Hadden (ERFA) - My first glimpse of Kamal Hadden was in preseason against the Colts. He looked absolutely terrible in coverage. It looked like he had no idea where he was supposed to be or what he was supposed to do. There was a lot of running around watching Colts receivers catch passes. He was targeted five times and allowed four completions that averaged 17 yds per catch. My first thoughts were, "well he's an easy cut." Incredibly, the following week against the Seahawks, it was a very different story. Hadden was again targeted five times, but this time, he was credited with two pass breakups and allowed zero completions. It seemed like the Packers had given his jersey to another player. Much to most people's surprise, Hadden made the team (as did rookie 7th round pick Micah Robinson, which foretold of the lack of depth at the position). Hadden spent the season studying, working and improving. In fact, late in the season LaFleur stated that Hadden had improved as much as any player he's had in his time in Green Bay. Hadden got his first chance to play in Week 12 and acquitted himself well when Nate Hobbs was out injured and then Keisean Nixon went down during the game. His next chance was the game against the Ravens. With Carrington Valentine seemingly unable to tackle anyone that game, let alone Derrick Henry, the Packers benched him and brought in Hadden. He was credited with a tackle and a stop before suffering a broken ankle on his sixth snap of the game. The expected recovery time was stated as 4-5 months, so he should be ready for training camp and with the state of their cornerback room, is surely a player the Packers haven't forgotten about and may even be counting on to bring improvement to the position group.
Go Pack Go!