We are still about a month away from Green Bay Packers training camp. Still, Jordan Morgan versus Lukas Van Ness is arguably the most interesting battle to watch because of what it could mean for both players, and for the future of Green Bay’s offensive and defensive lines.
Morgan is finally making a full-time transition to left tackle after spending much of the last two years playing on the interior. He made one start at tackle, which came in Green Bay’s Week 18 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings last season. In 18 pass-blocking snaps, he allowed one pressure and one sack.
“Jordan Morgan is a great athlete,” Hall of Fame tackle Joe Thomas told ESPN Milwaukee after his visit to Green Bay earlier this year.
“He’s got exceptional footwork, and he’s powerful. I was sitting there expecting to give him a bunch of tips on things I thought he could do better. We watched film that morning, and I honestly told him, ‘There are a couple of little things I would do differently if it were me, but that’s more specific to how I played. It’s not necessarily better or worse than what he’s doing.’”
Green Bay drafted Van Ness in the first round in 2024 to be Green Bay’s long-term answer at tackle, and whether he successfully acclimates to the position could have a ripple effect across the entire offensive line. The Packers need Morgan to work out there because if he doesn’t, it could force them into another round of shuffling up front.
Meanwhile, Van Ness is heading into his fourth year with the team. He had a fast start to the 2025 season with 16 pressures in the first six games before a thumb injury sidelined him until Week 12. After returning, he only managed seven pressures for the rest of the regular season. Still, he delivered a solid showing against the Chicago Bears in the playoffs with four pressures and a sack.
The Packers are going to have to find a way to survive the first month of the season without Micah Parsons. Jonathan Gannon will likely have to get creative with pressure looks, potentially leaning more on players like Edgerrin Cooper to generate disruption through gap shooting.
Meanwhile, Van Ness’ development could become a major storyline, because if he takes a step forward, it would help Green Bay hold the line while Parsons is out and also give the defense more balance and flexibility once he returns.
“I think Luke is someone that people sleep on the most, and I don’t know why,” Parsons said of Van Ness via The Athletic. “I think by the end of this season, if Luke stays healthy, I think he’ll probably be the favorite. That’s how much confidence I have in him.”
In the meantime, Van Ness says he has learned a lot from the three-time All-Pro.
“I’ve learned a lot from Micah over the past year,” he said during OTAs. “He’s taught me a lot about how I can improve and work on my game. He’s just a really good dude, a really good guy, and a good guy to have in my corner.”
So, when you analyze both players and the state of Green Bay’s trenches, it is hard not to think this will be the most important battle at training camp. No matter what happens, it will draw some scrutiny. If Van Ness gets the better of Morgan, fans will question whether the left tackle can hold up. But if Morgan consistently shuts down the 2023 first-round pick, the conversation will quickly shift toward whether Van Ness is a bust.
There are a lot of expectations on those two guys from the front office, the coaches, and the fans because they both have the potential to stabilize premium positions for Green Bay. All eyes will be on them in practice as they go head-to-head. However, what matters most is that, regardless of who has ups and downs, they learn from those reps and use that experience to improve going into the regular season.
