The Green Bay Packers spent a top-15 pick on Lukas Van Ness in the 2023 NFL Draft. Two years later, the pressure is mounting. If Van Ness fails to significantly impact in 2025, he could find himself dangerously close to bust territory.
Van Ness recorded four sacks and 18 pressures during his rookie season in 2023, followed by three sacks and 20 pressures in 2024. While his production has been underwhelming, it reflects a broader issue with Green Bay’s pass rush, which ranked 27th in pass-rush win rate last season.
In response, the Packers made significant moves this offseason, including hiring DeMarcus Covington to coach the defensive line. With these adjustments in place, there should be no excuses for failing to deliver improved results in 2025.
There are a few things Green Bay can do to get the most out of Van Ness, and one of the most important is moving him around the defensive line. Giving him opportunities to line up in different spots — whether off the edge or inside — can create more favorable matchups and help tap into the explosiveness that made him a top draft pick.
Lukas Van Ness is a freak athlete.
pic.twitter.com/N59C9VSJa8
— Felipe Reis Aceti (@Aceti_Felipe) July 15, 2024
The Packers could take a page from the game plan they used for Rashan Gary against the Houston Texans last season. In that game, Gary rushed from the edge and the interior, and it paid off — he posted his season high in pressures and quarterback hits.
Stroud & the Texans change their call and the Packers change their look with Rashan Gary lining up off-ball and rushing down the pipe (but the Packers still only bringing 4).
Juice Scruggs quickly gives a 5-O call, which would put the RB on Gary. The RB doesn't see it anyways. pic.twitter.com/z19CkzkBlr
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) October 22, 2024
During the final day of OTAs, Van Ness took some reps lining up on the inside. After practice, Matt LaFleur mentioned that the former Hawkeye could see snaps at defensive tackle in obvious passing situations.
“Yeah, I think situationally you can do that,” LaFleur said. “I think in known passing situations, there’s some thought around that. A lot of it’s gonna be dependent on everybody else, as well. Lukas has shown a lot of growth, and I’m excited to see him once we get pads on, and really all those guys how they compete.”
Van Ness was comfortable playing different spots along the defensive line throughout his college career. In his last season at Iowa, he logged 458 snaps but never stayed in one position for more than 93. That kind of versatility makes it easy for Green Bay to move him around, and they are starting to see a different version of Van Ness heading into 2025.
“I just think there’s a different confidence level with him,” LaFleur said after OTAs.
Jeff Hafley was also quick to praise Van Ness, noting that it can take some time for interior players to fully adjust to and master a new system.
I appreciate the patience but it’s a matter of time before these guys in Year 1 with new techniques and a new system and new calls and getting more comfortable, and the whole goal is to play better and better each week where the last game of the year we’re playing as good of football as we have and that’s what he’s doing right now, and I’m proud of him because it’s hard.
He didn’t lose his confidence but there’s moments – and he’s got high expectations from outside and from inside – and early on you could see that weighing on him a little bit. But he should be confident right now because he’s playing good football, and I expect a lot out of him too and I’m excited to see what he can do.
Last year, Van Ness broke his thumb and played with a cast for the first half of the season. While his performance still fell well below expectations for a top-15 pick, it’s understandable that the injury likely slowed down his development.
“Last year I had a broken thumb all of OTAs,” Van Ness said during Monday’s OTA press conference. “I wore a full cast all the way until about week 10 or 11, then had some lingering issues. So, I was wearing it most of the season, which is why I was limited to playing on just the right side of the defensive line.
Lukas Van Ness played with cast protecting broken thumb on right hand until Week 10 last year. Even after cast was removed, Van Ness said there was “mental block” learning how to use hands again.
How much did injury affect him?
“Playing defensive line, it’s all with your hands” pic.twitter.com/7lCEe7HOEN
— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) June 3, 2025
“Playing defensive line, it’s all with your hands. … You kind of get a little bit of a mental block, and it’s kind of taken me a little bit of time to gain some confidence again in utilizing my hands.”
A healthy Van Ness should be in a much better position to contribute to the defensive line this season. However, the pass rush still needs to take a step forward. He can’t carry the unit on his own, and if the rest of the front doesn’t deliver, it’ll be difficult for him to produce consistently.
Van Ness wasn’t a top-15 pick by accident — the talent is there. Now it’s up to Jeff Hafley to unlock it. That could start by giving him the freedom to line up across different spots, creating mismatches and giving the Packers more ways to pressure the quarterback.