Lukas Van Ness was selected 13th overall by the Green Bay Packers in the 2023 NFL draft. GM Brian Gutekunst went defense once again in the first round despite many offensive weapons still being on the board. Van Ness was one of the top edge prospects in the draft and fits the profile of players the Packers like. Having more pass-rushers is never a bad thing either. After he was picked, Van Ness took to social media to give a message to Packers fans.
🗣️ LET’S GO!!!@lukas_vanness is ready to get to work in Green Bay.#PackersDraft | #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/yBHHu4iWz2
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) April 28, 2023
Lukas Van Ness Has A Message For Packers Fans
Van Ness is excited to get to work. He is originally from Illinois and went to Iowa so he has been in the Midwest his whole life. He is ready to get to work and help this team transition into the new era. He seems very excited to be joining a defense that has a ton of first round talent on it already. He also joins a pass rush team of Kenny Clark, Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, and Kingsley Enagbare. Getting pressure on the quarterback is a great way to disrupt an offense and the Packers are wanting to make sure opposing quarterbacks are uncomfortable.
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Fills A Need Despite Not Being A Receiver
At some point the team will take a first round receiver. However, I applaud GM Brian Gutekunst for not taking one just to take one. The Packers needed another pass-rusher and they got one of the best in the draft. The team has proven that they can find receiver talent in the later rounds. No one was whining about not taking a first-round wide receiver when Christian Watson was catching three touchdowns versus the Dallas Cowboys. The Packers have a lot of mid-round picks thanks to the Aaron Rodgers trade and can find quality receivers there tomorrow.
Lukas Van Ness is going to be fun to watch opposite Rashan Gary for years to come. Assuming they sign Gary to a long-term deal (which they should) this is going to be the defensive edges of the future. Hopefully, this will result in a lot more sacks next year.
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