Green Bay Packers defensive end Lukas Van Ness was the 13th overall pick (first-round selection) in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Iowa. Van Ness did not make much of an impact during his rookie season.
To start the 2024 season, he will most likely be a backup defensive end. The projected starters at defensive end for the Packers will be Preston Smith and Rashan Gary. Green Bay will be in a 4-3 defensive scheme this season and not a 3-4 defensive scheme.
Van Ness will have to make noise during training camp. If he performs well during training camp, it could force the Packers to move on from Preston Smith before the season or even during the season.
Pro Football Focus Lists Green Bay Packers Defensive End Lukas Van Ness As 1 of 10 Players Who Are Under Pressure In Year 2 In the NFL
It is not a secret that Van Ness will have to see the field more in his second NFL season. He has to show that he can develop into a legitimate pass rusher for the Packers. Pro Football Focus writer Sam Monson thinks that Van Ness is one of 10 players entering their second NFL season who are under pressure to perform.
Monson said about the Green Bay Packers backup defensive end:
“Green Bay spent a first-round pick on Van Ness, selecting him at No. 13 overall with the idea that he could slot in as a rotational edge rusher right away and eventually succeed somebody like Preston Smith.
At 6-foot-5 and over 270 pounds, Van Ness has something of a tweener body type, but the Packers played him almost exclusively on the outside, where he was very ineffective.
On 444 total snaps, Van Ness notched only 22 total pressures, though his run defense was notably better.
He enters Year 2 under pressure to succeed and with fewer options than he had as a rookie, as fellow rookie Karl Brooks excelled on the inside in his first season, potentially removing a pathway to the interior rotation for Van Ness going forward.”
Lukas Van Ness last season recorded 32 tackles, four sacks, and one pass deflection. Those are not terrible stats for a rookie, but Van Ness will have to do much more than that during his second NFL season.
The Packers are banking on him to be a star defensive player eventually. If Lukas Van Ness does not perform in year two, there will be fans once again questioning general manager Brian Gutekunst.