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"Steal Of The Draft" - Packers Legend Leroy Butler Was Stunned By The Rookie's Performance In The Preseason Opener.

GREEN BAY — As the final whistle faded on the preseason opener, what stayed on the film wasn’t the scoreboard. On the sideline, assistants scrolled frame by frame: a clean get-off, a first strike to the chest, a long-arm that tilted the tackle’s hips before slicing inside. The name that kept surfacing: Barryn Sorrell, the fourth-round rookie.

Then came a voice every Packers fan knows — Hall of Famer LeRoy Butler — quoted on the postgame show:

“If you only look at the scoreboard, you’ll miss it, but Sorrell was Green Bay’s most outstanding player in the loss to the Jets. He wins reps with technique, not the chaos of the preseason. From what I saw in Week 1, that’s the look of a steal of the draft.

The “pop” Butler referenced didn’t come from one loud moment but from a string of well-built reps: quick off the ball, low pad level, first hands in, and control over where the collision happened. When the tackle overset to the edge, Sorrell didn’t run a hopeless loop — he knifed inside with a counter. When the tackle retreated too deep, he pressed the chest with a long-arm, maintaining separation to read the counterpunch. Those are the details defensive coaches crave in a rookie: a rep with a plan, a timely second move, and a motor that runs through the whistle.

The context wasn’t “easy” either: Green Bay didn’t register a sack, drives stretched, and the field became a test of edge discipline. Sorrell didn’t hunt for empty-calorie highlights — he held lanes, narrowed throwing windows, and forced the quarterback to decide a half-beat early. On film, those things rarely draw a roar, but they build the trust needed for a real role when the regular season arrives.

The inevitable question for any Day 3 pick: How does it translate on Sundays? The most sensible door opens in nickel/sub packages — a targeted 15–20 snaps, showing up on 2nd-and-long and 3rd-and-medium, rotating with the headliners to keep speed fresh on the edge. A few more clear wins against starter-caliber tackles over the next two weeks could turn Butler’s praise from generous compliment into a concrete plan on the call sheet.

Green Bay has found Day 3 “bargains” before; Sorrell is rewriting that formula the quiet, convincing way: winning with technique, discipline, and detail. The scoreboard may tell a different story, but on tape — where seasons are truly decided — Week 1 was enough for a franchise legend to say aloud what many were thinking: the silhouette of a “steal of the draft” has appeared in Green Bay.

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Chiefs Fan-Favourite WR Faces Family Tragedy After Week 5 Game as Military-Trained Skydiving Instructor Dies in Nashville
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice is mourning a devastating personal loss following the team’s Week 5 matchup, as his cousin Justin Fuller, a respected military-trained skydiving instructor, died in a tragic tandem jump accident near Nashville. Fuller, 35, was fatally injured after becoming separated from his parachute harness mid-air during a jump organized by Go Skydive Nashville. His student survived after landing in a tree with the parachute deployed and was later rescued by firefighters. Police confirmed Fuller’s body was recovered in a wooded area off Ashland City Highway. The Nashville Fire Department called it “one of the most complex high-angle rescues in recent years,” commending its personnel for the effort. Justin Fuller, known by the nickname "Spidey," died after a tandem skydiving jump went wrong on Oct. 4, 2025, near Nashville, Tennessee.  (Facebook/Justin Fuller Spidey ) Fuller, known affectionately as “Spidey,” had completed more than 5,000 jumps and trained U.S. military personnel in advanced aerial maneuvers. Friends described him as “fearless, focused, and committed to lifting others higher — both in life and in the air.” Rice, who grew up admiring his cousin’s discipline and sense of purpose, has long credited that example with shaping his mental toughness and leadership on the field. A relative told local media, “Justin taught Rashee that strength isn’t being unbreakable — it’s standing firm when life hits hardest. That’s exactly how Rashee lives and plays today.” As a featured target in the Chiefs’ offense, Rice has earned complete trust for his short-to-intermediate separation, yards-after-catch power (YAC), and chemistry with quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Coaches describe him as “calm, focused, and mature beyond his years,” a disciplined route-runner who finds tight windows in the red zone. Through Week 5 of the 2025 season, Rice has no registered game statistics as he serves a league-issued six-game suspension to start the regular season; major stat services list no 2025 game logs to date.  The Kansas City Chiefs have provided time and private support for Rice and his family, ensuring he can grieve without team-related obligations. Teammates have stood beside him, honoring both his resilience and his family’s tradition of service. The FAA is investigating the incident, while messages commemorating “Spidey” continue to spread nationwide.“He taught others to fly — now he flies higher than all of us,” one tribute read. Rice kept his public remarks brief before leaving in the embrace of teammates:“Spidey always told me not to fear the height — only the moment you forget to look down and pull someone else up with you. This week, I’m playing for him.”