The Green Bay Packers’ defense was as good as advertised on Sunday against a potent Detroit Lions offense. Much of that success started up front with the defensive line. While there are proven commodities among the group, there’s also a great unknown.
If Lukas Van Ness can become one of those surefire difference-makers, it will take the defensive front to a completely different level.
Before the Micah Parsons trade, general manager Brian Gutekunst was putting a lot of eggs into the Van Ness basket. Gutekunst noted throughout the offseason that he was expecting a “big jump” for Van Ness in 2025.
However, two years after being a first-round pick, that wasn’t the case. Inconsistent play, coupled with a broken thumb in 2024, stole any momentum Van Ness could build. Despite that, everyone had raving reviews about him this offseason.
Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley noted in July that Van Ness was starting to feel comfortable in his position in the NFL and within Hafley’s system.
I think he’s starting to understand the position, how to use his hands, how to set edges, some pass rush tools, some counter moves. It was a good offseason for him, truthfully. He did a good job at OTAs and then he left here and he put in a lot of work. He came back in really good shape, he’s healthy. I think he’s starting to feel comfortable. DeMarcus (Covington) has done a really good job with him and that entire group, but again, it’s still early.
Van Ness concurred in August that this offseason had gone better as he started to free his mind more.
I think the ability has always been there. At times, like Matt (LaFleur) said, I’m a perfectionist and wanted to do the right thing all the time. But this is the game of football, and it’s an imperfect game. Sometimes you gotta make the wrong play to go make a play. Not overthink. I think I’ve opened up my mind to that. It’s worked out well so far.
Following the Parsons trade, it was safe to wonder exactly what role Van Ness would have and if some of that pressure felt was alleviated.
On Sunday, Van Ness notched a sack. Perhaps more importantly, he validated all the offseason speculation about what this defense can become if things start to click into place for him in Year 3.
Van Ness was lined up at defensive tackle alongside Karl Brooks with Micah Parsons and Rashan Gary on the outside. Van Ness used a bull rush to get to Goff and bring him down for one of Green Bay’s four sacks on the afternoon.
Green Bay’s defense should be really good. That’s because you know what you get in Parsons and Gary, and the Packers feel confident that if he remains healthy, Devonte Wyatt will play a major role.
This is where things circle back to Van Ness.
If the 2025 season looks like the first two seasons for Van Ness, the Hafley-led defense will still be damn good. Van Ness will just be viewed as an afterthought in a reserve role. However, if Van Ness can ascend like Gutekunst suggested, this defensive front will be in an entirely different galaxy.
All of a sudden, you’d be looking at a superstar in Parsons, along with a proven star veteran in Gary. Solid depth exists with Kingsley Enagbare and Brenton Cox Jr. Regardless of how many snaps Enagbare plays, the Packers are getting a reliable defender who can occasionally make a splash play.
Van Ness is the great unknown, and if he validates his first-round status, it gives Hafley an embarrassment of options to deploy. It gives Hafley the freedom to line Van Ness up at defensive tackle, like he did Sunday when the former Iowa product notched his first sack of the year.
For what it’s worth, Parsons is confident it will happen with Van Ness.
Van Ness is going to have his best year yet. I’m going to make sure of it. That guy is a very selfless player, he’s very selfless. He’s one of those guys that can go anywhere, he plays the run, he does everything. He’s the high-quality player that you just want to be around.
The defensive line has players who have been in the league long enough that you know what you’re going to get from them. If Van Ness can elevate and take any steps forward, this defensive front for Green Bay will become the talk of the town.
