Micah Parsons’ arrival immediately upgrades the Packers’ pass rush and is a significant boon for coordinator Jeff Hafley’s defense, but it could speed up the clock ticking on one of Green Bay’s former draft pick’s time on the roster.
Both homegrown talents, fellow edge rusher Rashan Gary and rising linebacker Edgerrin Cooper might wind up being the biggest beneficiaries of Parsons’ presence, and they might even elevate the All-Pro’s game because it will be more difficult to double-team him.
However, after trading away two first-round picks to acquire Parsons, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst might be about to make another move to recoup some of the draft capital he dealt to Dallas.
Could Packers Trade Lukas Van Ness?
Over at Heavy Sports, analyst Max Dible makes a compelling case that the Packers could look to trade Lukas Van Ness, after acquiring Parsons.
“Pro Football Focus rated Van Ness the 162nd-best edge defender in 2024 out of 211 players,” Dible writes for Heavy. “Who saw enough snaps at the position to qualify. However, that is largely due to his poor run defense grade (193rd). As a pass-rusher, Van Ness ranked 74th and will probably be better than that in 2025 if he remains healthy.
“His value is likely to max out as a situational edge-rusher, even in his mid-20s, which will mitigate what Green Bay can get in return for Van Ness. Still, the right circumstances could net the Packers a third- or fourth-round draft asset next spring, which might make a deal worth it depending on the defense’s longterm outlook.”
There would be some irony in the Packers trading Van Ness, because the former first-round draft pick’s inability to live up to that billing likely accelerated the move to trade for Parsons.
But, if Gutekunst and the Packers can acquire even a third-round draft choice for Van Ness, it could prove more valuable to continuing to build out a young, exciting, and ascending core than keeping him on the roster beyond this season.
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