In the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers selected Iowa defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness with the No. 13 overall pick. It was a selection that surprised a lot of people, given the team’s need for playmakers on the offensive side of the ball.
But, when taking a look at the Packers’ roster, it does make sense that they went with an edge rusher. Last season, the team’s pass rush was anemic. Preston Smith led the way with 8.5 sacks and Rashan Gary finished second with 6.0.
The problem with that? Gary played in only the first nine games of the season as he suffered a season-ending knee injury in their Week 9 matchup against the Detroit Lions. Van Ness should be able to help in that regard right away, but Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report believes expectations should be tempered.
Ballentine has predicted that Van Ness will be the Packers’ biggest bust during the 2023 season. He mentioned the expectations that were placed on Devonte Wyatt, one of their first-round picks in 2022, which he failed to live up to.
As a first-round pick, there will always be an expectation to live up to. Teams and fans alike are hoping that the player becomes an impact performer right away, but sometimes, it takes a little while to reach that level. Ballentine believes that will be the case with Van Ness.
“There’s a lot of reason to believe Van Ness could follow a similar arc. The 6’5″, 272-pounder was not a starter for the Iowa defense and has a lot of refinement he needs to do to build his pass-rushing repertoire. In college, he got away with dominating because of his length and strength.
Those won’t be enough to find success early in the NFL. Van Ness will have a rotational role but the bulk of the Packers pass rush is going to come from Rashan Gary and Preston Smith.”
A rotational role could be what is best for Van Ness out of the gate. As Ballentine noted, he didn’t start a single game during his collegiate career. Instead, he was a major part of a defensive line rotation, playing both on the edge and interior.
However, his role could be expanded in the early going depending on how Gary’s rehab goes. Right now things are truly up in the air about when he could get back on the field as he remains without a set return date.
It will be something to keep an eye on in the coming weeks as the Packers prepare for training camp at the end of the month. Van Ness will be a part of the team’s game plan on defense, but there is some work to do when it comes to unlocking his potential.