The Green Bay Packers made their first-round pick in April, selecting defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness from Iowa. Despite some fans hoping for Ohio State’s wide receiver Jaxon Smtih-Njigba, the Packers made the more practical choice. Here are a few reasons why Lukas Van Ness is expected to have an instant impact.
Van Ness’ Background
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Lukas Van Ness was born in Barrington, Illinois, on July 6th, 2001. He showed great talent in sports, especially hockey and football. As a three-star recruit, he decided to commit to Iowa, where he earned a starting position as a redshirt freshman. In his debut season, he recorded 33 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and seven sacks, earning him the title of Freshman All-American by the Football Writers Association of America. In his redshirt sophomore season, he was named the Big Ten Conference Special Teams Player of the Week after blocking two kicks against Iowa State. These are exciting thing for Green Bay Packer fans.
What Kind of Impact Can Van Ness Make For The Green Bay Packers?
Lukas Van Ness has great potential due to his impressive physical attributes. Standing at 6 ft 5 in and weighing 272 pounds, he has a massive frame and is known for his physicality, coming from a hockey background. One area where he excels is in his ability to bullrush the tackle, creating pressure on the quarterback. This is especially important for the Green Bay Packers, who struggled with getting pressure on the QB after Rashan Gary’s injury. In addition to his pass-rushing abilities, Van Ness is skilled at breaking down the offensive line on run plays and setting the Edge to stop the run. His partnership with Gary and Preston Smith on the Edge will be exciting.
It is up to the Green Bay Packers to develop Van Ness, who has yet to start a college game but has had significant playing time. Fans hope his development is similar to that of Rashan Gary.
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