The Green Bay Packers added a powerful edge rusher with their first pick in the 2023 draft.
Lukas Van Ness was considered one of the top pass rushers in this year’s class after two productive seasons at Iowa. The Packers took him with the 13th overall pick, even though he never started a game for the Hawkeyes.
“It’s unusual, but he played close to 1,000 snaps the last two years,” said Brian Gutekunst Thursday night. “Iowa’s got a very good culture there, and that’s just kind of the way they do things a little bit, but he played a majority of the snaps of anybody on the defensive line.”
While Van Ness’ lack of experience was a concern during the pre-draft process, Green Bay made the pick knowing that his best football was ahead of him. Despite coming off the bench in 2021 and 2022, he still managed to accumulate 13.0 sacks, 19.0 tackles for loss and 74 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
“Really big upside,” Gutekunst added. “The physical traits are all there for him to grow, so there’s no real limitation on him. But also, the versatility to win outside with speed and inside with power. There’s so much in front of him, and that’s where his best football will be.”
Speaking of physical traits, Van Ness measured in at 6-5, 270 lbs at the combine before he ran a 4.58 40-yard dash, with eye-catching 10- and 20-yard splits and a 7.02 three-cone. When teams talk about moldable traits, this is what they mean.
However, scouting ultimately boils down to projection. Though production at the college level is taken into consideration, it means nothing once you are in the NFL. What can the player do, and where is he headed?
Much of that is uncovered by turning on the tape. In Van Ness’ case, the film speaks volumes about the player the Packers are getting, both as a pass rusher and run defender.
Today, we are breaking down both areas of Van Ness’ game. By the end, hopefully, we have more insight into Green Bay’s reasoning behind the pick and how they think he will fit into their defense.
For this film review, we are evaluating the All-22 from Van Ness’ performances against Ohio State and Michigan this past season. Let’s get started.
Pass-rushing
First, let’s look at one of his greatest strengths, which is rushing the passer. In the Ohio State game, Van Ness found himself lined up across one of the best left tackle prospects in Paris Johnson Jr. This will tell us a lot about how he will match up against NFL competition, knowing Johnson Jr. was selected 6th overall by the Arizona Cardinals.
Van Ness’ go-to is the bull rush, which allows him to use his short area quickness and play strength to drive offensive linemen back into the pocket. In this play, we see just how powerful he is as his hand placement and leg drive help him push Johnson Jr. into the lap of CJ Stroud. Van Ness is a split second late from getting the sack, but the knockback power and ability to disengage result in a dominant rep.
Here’s another impressive bull rush. Notice how explosive Van Ness is off the ball and how his low pad level hinders the tackle’s ability to get control of him. Van Ness even finishes with a nice rip move to really collapse the pocket and affect the quarterback’s throw.
While the bull rush has been effective for Van Ness, he needs to vary his pass rush plan at the next level. Johnson Jr. eventually caught on to Van Ness’ signature move and started to get out in front of it to shut down his momentum.
This bull rush could have used a finishing counter after Johnson Jr. gets good hand placement on Van Ness. Still, his arm extension and raw power are on full display for a solid rep.
Van Ness has a lot of good qualities as a pass rusher, but he is far from a finished product. For instance, he has a tendency to lean too far forward on power rushes, resulting in blockers countering and getting him to the ground.
Here’s another rep where his feet aren’t quite under him.
The Packers like to use twists to switch up their pass-rush looks. However, Van Ness needs to improve his timing as the looper for the play to be successful. If he starts this twist sooner, he probably doesn’t trip over the penetrator and might have a sack.
Run defense
Per PFF, Van Ness logged an 80.9 run-defense grade in 2022. He is capable of maintaining his gap and taking away rushing lanes even when he is asked to line up inside. In this play, Van Ness is lined up in the A-gap and uses his explosive get-off to immediately gain an advantage against the offensive guard, who is just along for the ride until Van Ness pushes him away. Coaches will love how he pursues the ball carrier and finishes the rep.
Even when you think he is out of a play, he isn’t.
Van Ness’ quick upfield burst can overwhelm some guards. Once again, he completely shoots the A-gap to help disrupt this run call for a minimal gain.
Lateral quickness is also a strength for Van Ness against the run. He quickly reads the block and gains inside leverage over the tight end to take away the C-gap. Unfortunately, no one is there to fill and prevent the cutback, but we still see how fast Van Ness can disengage.
For the most part, Van Ness does a good job of maintaining his gap and getting off blocks. However, there are occasions where this isn’t the case. Right here, he sees the runner but is too late to free himself and make the play.
Van Ness is known for his brute strength, but even on some plays, the blocker can get the best of him. Van Ness never quite gets his arms extended and the offensive tackle controls him until he puts him in the dirt.
Bonus clip
Could Van Ness drop into coverage in Green Bay? Never say never. Although I wouldn’t do it often, he’s a gifted enough athlete to do it on occasion.
Conclusion
You can’t learn everything about a player from two games, but you can start to see the vision the Packers have for Van Ness. They took a guy at a premium position whose play strength and athleticism jump off the screen. His tape shows a versatile player who can play anywhere from a 1-tech to a 7-tech, which may help him see the field more than Rashan Gary did as a rookie (played only 24% of the defensive snaps). One day, those two could form quite the duo.
Of course, Van Ness’ game isn’t complete. As a pass rusher, he has a solid foundation with his ability to get off the ball and use his power and length to his advantage. Even though we didn’t see it in the two games we watched, he does have adequate bend off the edge, though it would be nice if he used it more often. Right now, his bull rush is his go-to, and while it is impressive, he will need to build his repertoire so that he does not become predictable. Sharpening his hand usage will be a key part of his growth.
As a run defender, it’s a similar story. Van Ness relies on his strength and explosiveness to defeat blocks. However, he needs to continue to work on important aspects like block recognition and deconstruction to maximize effectiveness.
Luckily, Van Ness’ issues are all coachable and shouldn’t prevent him from developing into a well-rounded edge rusher.
