diff --git a/packages/opentelemetry-node/src/spanprocessor.ts b/packages/opentelemetry-node/src/spanprocessor.ts
index 3891a326359a..099d86a9e3e1 100644
--- a/packages/opentelemetry-node/src/spanprocessor.ts
+++ b/packages/opentelemetry-node/src/spanprocessor.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { Span as SentrySpan, TransactionContext } from '@sentry/types';
 import { logger } from '@sentry/utils';
 
 import { mapOtelStatus } from './utils/map-otel-status';
+import { parseSpanDescription } from './utils/parse-otel-span-description';
 
 /**
  * Converts OpenTelemetry Spans to Sentry Spans and sends them to Sentry via
@@ -136,6 +137,10 @@ function updateSpanWithOtelData(sentrySpan: SentrySpan, otelSpan: OtelSpan): voi
     const value = attributes[prop];
     sentrySpan.setData(prop, value);
   });
+
+  const { op, description } = parseSpanDescription(otelSpan);
+  sentrySpan.op = op;
+  sentrySpan.description = description;
 }
 
 function updateTransactionWithOtelData(transaction: Transaction, otelSpan: OtelSpan): void {
diff --git a/packages/opentelemetry-node/src/utils/parse-otel-span-description.ts b/packages/opentelemetry-node/src/utils/parse-otel-span-description.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..022280cefea9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/opentelemetry-node/src/utils/parse-otel-span-description.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+import { AttributeValue, SpanKind } from '@opentelemetry/api';
+import { Span as OtelSpan } from '@opentelemetry/sdk-trace-base';
+import { SemanticAttributes } from '@opentelemetry/semantic-conventions';
+
+interface SpanDescription {
+  op: string | undefined;
+  description: string;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Extract better op/description from an otel span.
+ *
+ * Based on https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-collector-contrib/blob/7422ce2a06337f68a59b552b8c5a2ac125d6bae5/exporter/sentryexporter/sentry_exporter.go#L306
+ *
+ * @param otelSpan
+ * @returns Better op/description to use, or undefined
+ */
+export function parseSpanDescription(otelSpan: OtelSpan): SpanDescription {
+  const { attributes, name } = otelSpan;
+
+  // if http.method exists, this is an http request span
+  const httpMethod = attributes[SemanticAttributes.HTTP_METHOD];
+  if (httpMethod) {
+    return descriptionForHttpMethod(otelSpan, httpMethod);
+  }
+
+  // If db.type exists then this is a database call span.
+  const dbSystem = attributes[SemanticAttributes.DB_SYSTEM];
+  if (dbSystem) {
+    return descriptionForDbSystem(otelSpan, dbSystem);
+  }
+
+  // If rpc.service exists then this is a rpc call span.
+  const rpcService = attributes[SemanticAttributes.RPC_SERVICE];
+  if (rpcService) {
+    return {
+      op: 'rpc',
+      description: name,
+    };
+  }
+
+  // If messaging.system exists then this is a messaging system span.
+  const messagingSystem = attributes[SemanticAttributes.MESSAGING_SYSTEM];
+  if (messagingSystem) {
+    return {
+      op: 'message',
+      description: name,
+    };
+  }
+
+  // If faas.trigger exists then this is a function as a service span.
+  const faasTrigger = attributes[SemanticAttributes.FAAS_TRIGGER];
+  if (faasTrigger) {
+    return { op: faasTrigger.toString(), description: name };
+  }
+
+  return { op: undefined, description: name };
+}
+
+function descriptionForDbSystem(otelSpan: OtelSpan, _dbSystem: AttributeValue): SpanDescription {
+  const { attributes, name } = otelSpan;
+
+  // Use DB statement (Ex "SELECT * FROM table") if possible as description.
+  const statement = attributes[SemanticAttributes.DB_STATEMENT];
+
+  const description = statement ? statement.toString() : name;
+
+  return { op: 'db', description };
+}
+
+function descriptionForHttpMethod(otelSpan: OtelSpan, httpMethod: AttributeValue): SpanDescription {
+  const { name, kind } = otelSpan;
+
+  const opParts = ['http'];
+
+  switch (kind) {
+    case SpanKind.CLIENT:
+      opParts.push('client');
+      break;
+    case SpanKind.SERVER:
+      opParts.push('server');
+      break;
+  }
+
+  // Ex. description="GET /api/users/{user_id}".
+  const description = `${httpMethod} ${name}`;
+
+  return { op: opParts.join('.'), description };
+}
diff --git a/packages/opentelemetry-node/test/spanprocessor.test.ts b/packages/opentelemetry-node/test/spanprocessor.test.ts
index e371dc453617..a86645cbe462 100644
--- a/packages/opentelemetry-node/test/spanprocessor.test.ts
+++ b/packages/opentelemetry-node/test/spanprocessor.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import * as OpenTelemetry from '@opentelemetry/api';
+import { SpanKind } from '@opentelemetry/api';
 import { Resource } from '@opentelemetry/resources';
 import { Span as OtelSpan } from '@opentelemetry/sdk-trace-base';
 import { NodeTracerProvider } from '@opentelemetry/sdk-trace-node';
@@ -328,6 +329,162 @@ describe('SentrySpanProcessor', () => {
       expect(transaction?.status).toBe(expected);
     },
   );
+
+  it('updates op/description for span on end', async () => {
+    const tracer = provider.getTracer('default');
+
+    tracer.startActiveSpan('GET /users', parentOtelSpan => {
+      tracer.startActiveSpan('SELECT * FROM users;', child => {
+        const sentrySpan = getSpanForOtelSpan(child);
+
+        child.updateName('new name');
+
+        expect(sentrySpan?.op).toBe(undefined);
+        expect(sentrySpan?.description).toBe('SELECT * FROM users;');
+
+        child.end();
+
+        expect(sentrySpan?.op).toBe(undefined);
+        expect(sentrySpan?.description).toBe('new name');
+
+        parentOtelSpan.end();
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('updates op/description based on attributes for HTTP_METHOD for client', async () => {
+    const tracer = provider.getTracer('default');
+
+    tracer.startActiveSpan('GET /users', parentOtelSpan => {
+      tracer.startActiveSpan('/users/all', { kind: SpanKind.CLIENT }, child => {
+        const sentrySpan = getSpanForOtelSpan(child);
+
+        child.setAttribute(SemanticAttributes.HTTP_METHOD, 'GET');
+
+        child.end();
+
+        expect(sentrySpan?.op).toBe('http.client');
+        expect(sentrySpan?.description).toBe('GET /users/all');
+
+        parentOtelSpan.end();
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('updates op/description based on attributes for HTTP_METHOD for server', async () => {
+    const tracer = provider.getTracer('default');
+
+    tracer.startActiveSpan('GET /users', parentOtelSpan => {
+      tracer.startActiveSpan('/users/all', { kind: SpanKind.SERVER }, child => {
+        const sentrySpan = getSpanForOtelSpan(child);
+
+        child.setAttribute(SemanticAttributes.HTTP_METHOD, 'GET');
+
+        child.end();
+
+        expect(sentrySpan?.op).toBe('http.server');
+        expect(sentrySpan?.description).toBe('GET /users/all');
+
+        parentOtelSpan.end();
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('updates op/description based on attributes for DB_SYSTEM', async () => {
+    const tracer = provider.getTracer('default');
+
+    tracer.startActiveSpan('GET /users', parentOtelSpan => {
+      tracer.startActiveSpan('fetch users from DB', child => {
+        const sentrySpan = getSpanForOtelSpan(child);
+
+        child.setAttribute(SemanticAttributes.DB_SYSTEM, 'MySQL');
+        child.setAttribute(SemanticAttributes.DB_STATEMENT, 'SELECT * FROM users');
+
+        child.end();
+
+        expect(sentrySpan?.op).toBe('db');
+        expect(sentrySpan?.description).toBe('SELECT * FROM users');
+
+        parentOtelSpan.end();
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('updates op/description based on attributes for DB_SYSTEM without DB_STATEMENT', async () => {
+    const tracer = provider.getTracer('default');
+
+    tracer.startActiveSpan('GET /users', parentOtelSpan => {
+      tracer.startActiveSpan('fetch users from DB', child => {
+        const sentrySpan = getSpanForOtelSpan(child);
+
+        child.setAttribute(SemanticAttributes.DB_SYSTEM, 'MySQL');
+
+        child.end();
+
+        expect(sentrySpan?.op).toBe('db');
+        expect(sentrySpan?.description).toBe('fetch users from DB');
+
+        parentOtelSpan.end();
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('updates op/description based on attributes for RPC_SERVICE', async () => {
+    const tracer = provider.getTracer('default');
+
+    tracer.startActiveSpan('GET /users', parentOtelSpan => {
+      tracer.startActiveSpan('test operation', child => {
+        const sentrySpan = getSpanForOtelSpan(child);
+
+        child.setAttribute(SemanticAttributes.RPC_SERVICE, 'rpc service');
+
+        child.end();
+
+        expect(sentrySpan?.op).toBe('rpc');
+        expect(sentrySpan?.description).toBe('test operation');
+
+        parentOtelSpan.end();
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('updates op/description based on attributes for MESSAGING_SYSTEM', async () => {
+    const tracer = provider.getTracer('default');
+
+    tracer.startActiveSpan('GET /users', parentOtelSpan => {
+      tracer.startActiveSpan('test operation', child => {
+        const sentrySpan = getSpanForOtelSpan(child);
+
+        child.setAttribute(SemanticAttributes.MESSAGING_SYSTEM, 'messaging system');
+
+        child.end();
+
+        expect(sentrySpan?.op).toBe('message');
+        expect(sentrySpan?.description).toBe('test operation');
+
+        parentOtelSpan.end();
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('updates op/description based on attributes for FAAS_TRIGGER', async () => {
+    const tracer = provider.getTracer('default');
+
+    tracer.startActiveSpan('GET /users', parentOtelSpan => {
+      tracer.startActiveSpan('test operation', child => {
+        const sentrySpan = getSpanForOtelSpan(child);
+
+        child.setAttribute(SemanticAttributes.FAAS_TRIGGER, 'test faas trigger');
+
+        child.end();
+
+        expect(sentrySpan?.op).toBe('test faas trigger');
+        expect(sentrySpan?.description).toBe('test operation');
+
+        parentOtelSpan.end();
+      });
+    });
+  });
 });
 
 // OTEL expects a custom date format