The Green Bay Packers selected edge rusher Lukas Van Ness in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. While the former Iowa star did not start any games as a rookie, he did show flashes of the skills and ability that made him the 13th overall selection a year ago. But what can the Packers expect from Van Ness in his second season in the NFL?
What Can the Packers Expect from Lukas Van Ness This Season: His Rookie Year
When GM Brian Gutekunst selected Van Ness last year, the Packers did not expect him to become an immediate starter. The team already had Rashan Gary and Preston Smith as the established first-string edge rushers and second-year man Kingsley Enagbare provided some depth.
The organization believed Van Ness would need time before he could become a major contributor on defense as he made the adjustment from the college game to the NFL.
The Packers expected Van Ness to follow a similar path to Gary who was brought along slowly but assumed a larger role each season he was with the team. By year three, Gary was a full-time starter and the team’s top pass rusher off the edge.
In his rookie year, Van Ness played in all 17 games although he did not start any of them. He played 33 percent of the team’s defensive snaps as a valuable part of the team’s rotation at edge. He finished the season with four sacks, 32 total tackles and 10 quarterback hits. He also made eight tackles for loss.
Van Ness added another sack in the Packers playoff win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Throughout his rookie season, Van Ness showed promise while working hard on to improve his technique and learning the Packers defense.
Matt LaFleur Optimistic About Van Ness
Vann Ness suffered a minor injury that caused him to miss part of the team’s offseason program. He missed the early part of OTAs when he suffered a broken thumb.
Head coach Matt LaFleur explained that the injury was not serious as joked that Van Ness broke, “just the tip.” He did return for the final portion of the offseason workout program.
Meanwhile, LaFleur expressed confidence that Van Ness will improve this season. “I’m excited about Lukas,” told reporters. “A lot of times, you see those pass rushers take a huge jump from year one to year two. He’s a guy who has been in a ton of work. His body looks great. It’s unfortunate that he broke his thumb, but he’s getting more time out there. He’s somebody we’re certainly excited about.”
Van Ness has great speed for his size and is considered very athletic. In fact, he earned the nickname “Hercules” for his combination of size and athleticism.
“He’s a freak of nature, [for] lack of a better way of saying it,” said defensive line coach Jason Rebrovich last season. “Luckily for us, he’s on our team.”
What Can the Packers Expect from Lukas Van Ness This Season: The Benefits for Van Ness
The Packers have a new defense this season under the newly hired Jeff Hafley. The team is converting to a four-man front rather than the three-man front they played under Joe Barry. This means that Van Ness will be starting plays with his hand in the ground. This will be an advantage for Van Ness who lined up along different points in the line throughout his career at Iowa.
In addition, Hafley’s defense is designed to be more aggressive and less read and react. This should open up more opportunities for an athletic edge rusher like Van Ness to penetrate and make plays whether it’s a sack or a tackle for loss against the run.
Expect Van Ness to see more action this season. Even though he may not start, he is expected to be on the field more often than the 33 percent of the snaps he played last season.
The 2024 campaign should offer more opportunities for Van Ness. If he takes advantage of those chances, he should have a bigger impact on the field and take his budding NFL career to the next level.
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