The Lukas Van Ness pick looks better and better by the day. Seemingly every new practice brings more highlights and film clips showing off his size, speed, versatility, and strength. Those were his defining traits at the draft, and they’re shining through in his first NFL offseason.
Earlier in the offseason I did some film breakdown to evaluate all the highs and lows and see what made Van Ness such a compelling prospect. And clearly I wasn’t the only one who came away impressed.
Given all the excitement, you’d think Van Ness was a sure to be one of the rookies to watch when the real action kicks off in September. But, despite the highlight reels and the hype, remember that the Packers are very deliberate with their development of defensive lineman. Even being a first-round pick doesn’t spare these players from the learning curve. We saw this play out last year with Devonte Wyatt. The rookie from Georgia only played in 22% of the snaps available. In Rashan Gary’s rookie year, he only played 23% of the defensive snaps.
While the starters on the defensive line stay on the field a lot, only Preston Smith played almost 80% of the snaps last season. The Packers have done a good job of rotating players in for different schemes and alignments on defense.
That could be changing, though. Van Ness has seen reps with the first team multiple times throughout training camp. For the first depth chart of the year, Van Ness was listed as the direct backup to Preston Smith, ahead of Kingsley Enagbare. Justin Hollins and Van Ness will be the first two in for Gary and Smith. I’d expect Van Ness to get a ton of reps in the preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Aug. 11.
The edge position is challenging, and there is a reason the Packers want these guys to work in slowly, but Van Ness may just be ahead of most rookies.
“There’s going to be a learning curve,” Matt LaFleur said about Van Ness. “I think that’s one of the positions defensively that takes the most time, and we’ll see how fast he acclimates to this league.”
Gary had to change positions when he entered the league. He had his hand in the dirt at Michigan and typically played as a 3-tech defensive end. But Gary has been a stand-up outside rusher in Green Bay, and that adjustment took some time.
Van Ness won’t need that adjustment. His competition for playing time is also fading. Some of the other depth rushers like La’Darius Hamilton and Jonathan Garvin have already been released. The Packers seem pretty set with their edge group. Gary, Smith, Van Ness, Hollins, and Enagbare will most likely be the group. UDFA Brenton Cox Jr. from Florida could be a wild card.
The Packers have activated Rashan Gary off the PUP list, and he’s active during training camp. That does not necessarily mean that he’s fully healthy. ACL injuries are serious, and the Packers will take their time with Gary. He could certainly play Week 1, just don’t expect him to be a full-go, playing every snap.
Van Ness is farther ahead in his development than most NFL rookies. His physical presence alone makes him a force to be reckoned with. Preston Smith is also 30, and he may want to see his role decreased a little bit to sustain his high level of play throughout the entire season. Rashan Gary will take a little bit to get back to 100%. The opportunity for Van Ness to play will be there.
The Packers could certainly dial up some unique blitz packages that include Van Ness. During his time at Iowa, Van Ness rushed from the interior a lot. He could still do that in the NFL. A five-man rush of Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt, Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, and Lukas Van Ness will be hard for opponents to prepare for.
Justin Hollins will be his main competition, though. The two are in a race for the first spot on the bench. Due to his veteran status, Hollins probably has the advantage at this point. Hollins is an effective depth player who can hold his own at the edge position.
Hollins has probably more or less shown his ceiling as a player. He can contribute three or four sacks in a good season and is responsible in the run game. Van Ness has the opportunity to rack up all kinds of stats.
The Packers as a team are also in a different situation. When Gary and Wyatt were developing during their respective rookie years, the Packers were attempting to contend for a Super Bowl. This year, that’s not the case. Van Ness will have the opportunity to make mistakes and learn from them on the field.
While the Packers have typically held their rookie defensive lineman on a narrow snap count, Lukas Van Ness has a chance to break that trope. His brains, brawn, and the favorable timing for someone at his position in Green Bay could all contribute to Van Ness seeing the field early and often.
All stats and data via football reference unless otherwise noted.
