The Green Bay Packers drafted Lukas Van Ness with the 13th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Van Ness played for the Iowa Hawkeyes in college football.
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Van Ness this past season with the Packers recorded 33 tackles, three sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. He has been good for Green Bay but has yet to stand out defensively. There is a chance that he could be used as a trade chip this offseason.
Fansided.com Writer Cody Williams Has the Green Bay Packers Trading Lukas Van Nees To the Cleveland Browns
For the Packers to potentially land Myles Garrett in a trade from the Cleveland Browns this offseason, Green Bay may have to trade Lukas Van Ness, and the fans may have no problem with that at all. Fansided.com writer Cody Williams created a mock trade that would send Van Ness, a 2025 first-round pick, and a 2026 second-round pick to the Browns for superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett. Williams said:
“We can’t talk about trades for pass-rushers this offseason without talking about Myles Garrett, obviously. The Cleveland Browns star has requested a trade and, while Andrew Berry and the front office have been adamant to this point that they won’t move him, there’s still a lot of offseason before that actually reaches its conclusion. And as long as a potential trade is on the table, the Packers should be on the phone about it.
Garrett would be by far the most expensive trade option available to Green Bay this offseason but for good reason. The former No. 1 overall pick hasn’t failed to reach double-digit sacks in any season since his rookie year and has averaged 15.0 sacks per year over the past four campaigns. He’s arugably the most dominant edge rusher in the NFL and someone who the Packers would be justified in giving up a king’s ransom to acquire.
The Packers also happen to be in the unique position to give Cleveland the high-end draft capital they would be seeking in any Myles Garrett trade while also helping to replenish the roster right now. Former first-round pick Lukas Van Ness was a more natural fit for Green Bay’s previous 3-4 base alignment but is a bit positionless now. Giving him up sweetens the pot for the Browns with a fresh start for an athletic and talented young player.As for Green Bay, they immediately acquire one of the NFL’s most dominant defensive presences. And it feels safe to say that no singe player would quell the concerns about the Packers pass rush quite to the degree that Garrett would immediately.”
The interesting thing is that would that be enough for the Packers to give up, in order to acquire Myles Garrett? It would be interesting to see what some of the offers would be from other teams. This past season with the Browns, he recorded 47 tackles, 14 sacks, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and one pass deflection.
The Browns getting a young player in return like Lukas Van Ness could be another reason why the Packers could get a trade done with Cleveland. Van Ness is 23 years old and Garrett is 29 years old.
Other Contenders
If Green Bay can’t flop Van Ness and draft picks for Myles Garrett, there is a chance that they could do that for Trey Hendrickson, Maxx Crosby, or a different pass rusher this offseason. The Detroit Lions will be another team that will be in the market for a pass rush to get help for Aidan Hutchinson.
What the Green Bay Packers can’t afford to do this offseason is to stand pat with the roster. Green Bay has to make a move for an elite pass rusher.
