Packers’ Recent Top Pick Poised for Breakout Campaign in New System

Getty Pass rusher Lukas Van Ness of the Green Bay Packers.

The Green Bay Packers turned a lot of heads over the past two years, as they traded away stars and banked on the NFL draft as an avenue to rebuild around a new corps of young players.

General manager Brian Gutekunst’s strategy paid off in a huge way in 2023, as the Packers mounted a late run to make the playoffs in their first season post-Aaron Rodgers. They then went on to dismantle the Dallas Cowboys on the road before losing a close Divisional Game to the San Francisco 49ers that they had in their collective grasp for much of the second half.

Green Bay has already proven wrong just about everyone who didn’t believe in the its vision or in the abilities of the front office and coaching staff to evaluate and develop players. So, considering that, why should there be any doubt around a prospect like Lukas Van Ness on the verge of entering his second professional campaign?

Ari Meirov of 33rd Team argued on Wednesday, August 7, that there shouldn’t be when he predicted a jump for the former Iowa Hawkeye in Year 2 that will ultimately lead to a starting role in Year 3.

“The Packers have historically taken a slow and steady approach to developing their young players, especially their pass rushers. Van Ness, the No. 13 pick last season, showed promise down the stretch with [3] sacks in the final six games and added another in the playoffs,” Meirov wrote. “With new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley aiming for a more aggressive defense, Van Ness is a player to watch as someone who could take another step forward and eventually become a full-time and consistent player for Green Bay in 2025.”

Packers’ Pass Rush Was Middle of Road in NFL Last Season

GettyOutside linebacker Rashan Gary of the Green Bay Packers.

Van Ness finished his rookie season with 23 solo tackles, 18 QB pressures and 5 sacks, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF).

He played a total of 360 defensive snaps, almost an even split between run and pass, finishing with player grades of 63.1 against the run, 59.0 as a pass rusher and an overall mark of 64.0, per PFF.

Rashan Gary and Preston Smith were both above-average pass rushers in 2023 and both are back in green and gold this season. More time alongside those type of talents should provide Van Ness with more favorable matchups and increase his impact on the game, both in terms of traditional counting numbers and advanced analytics.

Lukas Van Ness Critical Piece to Packers’ Shift in Defensive Style

GettyGreen Bay Packers pass rusher Lukas Van Ness.

Green Bay was exactly in the middle of the league last season in terms of sacks produced, tied with the Tennessee Titans for 16th place out of 32 teams with 45 sacks total.

Any NFL defense is going to benefit from more sacks and more general pressure on the quarterback, as creating that kind of chaos leads to turnovers, lost yards and squandered downs. However, pressure will be even more important for the Packers in Hafley’s single-high scheme.

“Hafley’s defenses ran a ton of single-high in college (one safety deep in the middle of the field, the other safety dropped into the box),” Acme Packing Co. wrote in May. “They ran quite a bit of man coverage and cover-3. The defensive front wants to be more penetrating than Packers fans have been used to in the past few years.”

Van Ness will be one of the keys to Green Bay’s defense accomplishing that goal, which makes him a player to watch during the upcoming season.