Packers rookie linebacker Vic So'oto returns an intercpeted pass for a touchdown in the third quarter Thursday. Credit: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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Green Bay - Cullen Jenkins is gone and not soon forgotten.

But if you thought the Green Bay Packers were not going to be able to replace his pass rush ability, say hello to Vic So'oto.

The undrafted free agent will be part of a group that includes defensive end Mike Neal and nose tackle B.J. Raji and will be obliged to fill the void Jenkins left when he took his services to Philadelphia.

Based on the Packers' final two preseason games, So'oto is going to be a player who can help their pass rush right away.

In the final two games, he notched 2½ sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception returned for a touchdown, sealing his place on the 53-man roster and marking him as a candidate to play against New Orleans in the season opener. The fact much of So'oto's work came against the opponents' starters says a lot about his legitimacy.

"He's a beast, a young beast," veteran nose tackle Howard Green said. "That's what I call him, 'Young Beast.' He's just a stud. He's strong and he's talented and he's coachable."

And he's also a member of the 2011 Packers, although that won't be official until Saturday when final cuts are made.

So'oto would have to go out and rob a bank to blow his shot at making the 53-man roster and even that probably wouldn't lead the Packers to release him. There's more than a dozen and a half teams who are kicking themselves that they didn't project So'oto to make the adjustment from 4-3 defensive end at Brigham Young to 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL.

All it cost the Packers was a signing bonus of $8,500 to attract So'oto to Green Bay.

After they watch film of the Packers' 20-19 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night at Lambeau Field, the others will see that So'oto dominated the game, personally snuffing out the Chiefs' first two drives and then later adding the game-winning points with a 33-yard interception return for a touchdown.

His initial thoughts after the game was that he could have done more and that outside linebackers coach Kevin Greene was going to chew him out for the mistakes he made, including a technical error on the scoring play.

But there's no way Greene or anyone else could have ignored the production the rookie had against a Chiefs team trying to get its No. 1 offense quality work.

"I could have had a couple more sacks if I had gone inside instead of outside," So'oto said when asked what he could have done better. "KG is going to be very disappointed."

Maybe in the short term he will, but in the long term Greene and the rest of the defensive coaches had to be elated that they had found a pass-rushing source they never envisioned when they allowed Jenkins to leave. So'oto might be able to be used right away in passing situations to complement Matthews, Raji and a healthy Neal, thereby softening the loss of the team's second-best pass rusher.

"We just have to play good football and just carry out the game plan," Raji said. "You don't expect to replace Cullen Jenkins with one player, but as long as guys are playing hard and not hurting us (we'll be all right)."

On Thursday, So'oto hit the trifecta with his big plays, sacking the quarterback on third down, stripping a running back of the ball and returning the interception for a touchdown. If he had been wearing jersey No. 52, no one would have known it wasn't Matthews inside the helmet.

On the very first series of the game, he drove right tackle Barry Richardson backward and sacked quarterback Matt Cassel for a 4-yard loss. On the very next series, he showed up again, this time stripping the ball from 1,400-yard rusher Jamaal Charles at the Packers 19, snuffing out another drive.

"I tackled him from behind and when I reached around I could feel the ball," So'oto said. "I just pulled it out."

Before finishing off the game with his interception, he shared a sack with linebacker D.J. Smith that destroyed yet another drive by the Chiefs' No. 1 offense, which played into the third quarter.

Then, with the Packers trailing, 16-13, with 4½ minutes to go in the third, So'oto jumped quarterback Tyler Palko's pass in the flat to receiver Dexter McCluster and raced 33 yards to the end zone.

So'oto somewhat sheepishly described the play.

"I actually messed up," he said of allowing the tight end to get outside of him. "Coach is going to yell at me. In practice I messed that up, too. But I knew he was going to throw the ball to McCluster. I was hoping he would."

The emergence of So'oto means the Packers have four quality outside linebackers they can use interchangeably: Matthews, Erik Walden, Frank Zombo and So'oto. Walden is still the starter because he's more versatile and less prone to mistakes, but you can bet defensive coordinator Dom Capers will find a way to use So'oto opening day against New Orleans.

"So'oto's a big-time player," Raji said. "He's exactly what you're looking for."