An apparatus, system, and method may include adaptively scheduling packet processing modules by ordering the packet processing modules based on at least one of traffic composition and computational complexity of the packet processing modules. The apparatus, system and method may analyze at least one of traffic composition information derived from at least one packet data stream and computational complexity information pertaining to packet processing modules, determine an ordering of the packet processing modules based on the analyzing, wherein packets are passed through the packet processing modules until the packet meets criteria associated with a packet processing module or the packet has been passed through all of the packet processing modules, and dynamically rearrange the packet processing modules into the determined ordering.