Packers Lukas Van Ness Under Pressure to Perform in 2024

With the No. 13 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers selected Iowa edge rusher, Lukas Van Ness. Like many first-round picks before him, Van Ness was brought along slowly as a rookie.

The first time that he played at least half of the defensive snaps in a game was the postseason. During Super Wild Card Weekend against the Dallas Cowboys, Lukas Van Ness played 53 percent of the snaps in a 48-32 blowout victory.

In that game, he recorded one sack, one tackle for loss and one quarterback hit. It was an impressive showing for the Iowa product, who had come on in the second half of the season.

Despite limited reps, the Packers were receiving solid contributions from their first-round pick. Over the final eight games, including the two playoff contents, Lukas Van Ness had 4.0 sacks, four tackles for loss and seven quarterback hits.

The Packers are hoping that production can carry over into 2024. With an expanded role expanded role coming for Lukas Van Ness, Year 2 could be a coming out party for him.

Given the rising expectations of the Packers, his level of production is expected to rise. Over at PFF, Sam Monson has named Lukas Van Ness as one of the 10 second-year players who are under pressure in 2024.

“He enters Year 2 under pressure to succeed and with fewer options than he had as a rookie, as fellow rookie Karl Brooks excelled on the inside in his first season, potentially removing a pathway to the interior rotation for Van Ness going forward,” Monson wrote.

If the Packers are determined to find more consistent playing time for Lukas Van Ness, making a trade is a possibility. Veteran Preston Smith has been floated as a potential trade chip for the team.

Moving on from Smith would open up a starting spot opposite of Rashan Gary. It would be a risky move, as the Packers know what they are going to get from Smith. He is a steady veteran with at least 8.0 sacks in three straight seasons.

Training camp and the preseason will be big for Lukas Van Ness. If he proves he is ready for a larger workload, the Packers will make moves to ensure he is given more snaps.

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