The Green Bay Packers added a powerful edge rusher with their first pick in the 2023 draft.
Lukas Van Ness was considered one of the top pass rushers in this year’s class after two productive seasons at Iowa. The Packers took him with the 13th overall pick, even though he never started a game for the Hawkeyes.
“It’s unusual, but he played close to 1,000 snaps the last two years,” said Brian Gutekunst Thursday night. “Iowa’s got a very good culture there, and that’s just kind of the way they do things a little bit, but he played a majority of the snaps of anybody on the defensive line.”
While Van Ness’ lack of experience was a concern during the pre-draft process, Green Bay made the pick knowing that his best football was ahead of him. Despite coming off the bench in 2021 and 2022, he still managed to accumulate 13.0 sacks, 19.0 tackles for loss and 74 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
“Really big upside,” Gutekunst added. “The physical traits are all there for him to grow, so there’s no real limitation on him. But also, the versatility to win outside with speed and inside with power. There’s so much in front of him, and that’s where his best football will be.”
Speaking of physical traits, Van Ness measured in at 6-5, 270 lbs at the combine before he ran a 4.58 40-yard dash, with eye-catching 10- and 20-yard splits and a 7.02 three-cone. When teams talk about moldable traits, this is what they mean.
However, scouting ultimately boils down to projection. Though production at the college level is taken into consideration, it means nothing once you are in the NFL. What can the player do, and where is he headed?
Much of that is uncovered by turning on the tape. In Van Ness’ case, the film speaks volumes about the player the Packers are getting, both as a pass rusher and run defender.
Today, we are breaking down both areas of Van Ness’ game. By the end, hopefully, we have more insight into Green Bay’s reasoning behind the pick and how they think he will fit into their defense.
For this film review, we are evaluating the All-22 from Van Ness’ performances against Ohio State and Michigan this past season. Let’s get started.