The Green Bay Packers need some younger players to take steps forward in 2024, including former first-round pick Lukas Van Ness.
Sam Monson with Pro Football Focus named the top players around the NFL who are under pressure to perform in their second seasons in the league. The list includes a pair of Carolina Panthers players in Bryce Young and Jonathan Mingo.
Monson also laid out why Van Ness needs to step up this season.
“[Van Ness] 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 Van Ness can take a step forward in 2024, the Packers defense could become one of the more formidable units in the league.
Lukas Van Ness’ Path to the NFL
One look at Van Ness can explain why he’s an NFL talent. However, it wasn’t just his physique that helped him make his NFL dreams come true.
Van Ness was an under-the-radar high school recruit back in 2020. The majority of his offers as a 3-star recruit were Ivy League schools, service academies, and MAC programs.
The Iowa Hawkeyes ended up showing enough interest for Van Ness to commit to them. It took Van Ness some time to find his footing, but he became a breakout star as a redshirt sophomore in 2022.
Van Ness tied a program record that season by blocking two punts in a single game against Iowa State. He also racked up 11 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks over 13 games. That earned him second-team All-Big Ten honors before going pro.
The pre-draft process helped Van Ness skyrocket up draft boards. His athletic testing and size had scouts and general managers excited about his potential. Thanks to strong testing in the 40-yard dash and agility drills, Van Ness posted a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.39 out of 10.
The size, testing, and college production helped Van Ness go in the first round of the 2023 draft by the Packers. He showed serious flashes as a rookie, recording four sacks as a rotational pass rusher.
Now, with another offseason under his belt, Van Ness is hoping to take a big step forward in 2024.
Green Bay Has Depth at Defensive End
New defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is bring a 4-3 scheme to Green Bay. That bodes well for Van Ness, but also might set up the team’s other defensive ends for success.
Rashan Gary still looks like a star in waiting for the Packers. Another former first-round pick, Gary finished with nine sacks and two forced fumbles in 17 games last season. He looked a bit slower coming back from a torn ACL to start the season, but looked much more like his old self as the season progressed.
Meanwhile, Preston Smith continues to be a stable, consistent veteran for the defense. He’s had 41.5 sacks over five seasons in Green Bay, but has also established himself as a legitimate run defender. There are questions about his future at 31 years old, but his consistency has been a huge boon for the Packers.
Kingsley Enagbare will likely be paired with Van Ness on the second rotation of defensive ends. His availability is actually a huge surprise considering the Packers feared he had torn his ACL during the team’s playoff run. Instead, he has been a full participant in offseason workouts, avoiding a major injury.
Those three, along with Van Ness, will play a huge role up front for the Packers in 2024.
