During the 2022 season, one of the areas of weakness for the Green Bay Packers was their pass rusher. When star edge rusher Rashan Gary went down with a torn ACL, their pass-rushing numbers plummeted.
Without Gary in the mix, Green Bay was unable to consistently get into the opponent’s backfield. Despite playing in only nine games, he finished second on the team in sacks behind only Preston Smith, who had 8.5.
Fixing the pass rush was a point of emphasis this offseason. With Gary working his way back from the torn ACL, the team saw some improvements from other players across the board. The player they had the highest hopes for was Lukas Van Ness.
The No. 13 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft was considered a raw prospect by many, using brute strength and athleticism to find success at Iowa. Some development was needed for him to succeed at the next level, but the Packers just haven’t seen enough of it yet.
Over at Bleacher Report, Ryan Fowler handed out grades for this year’s first-round rookies at the midway point of the season. Look away Packers fans, as Fowler gave Van Ness an overall grade of D, one of the lowest in the group.
“Inconsistent playing time has hurt Lukas Van Ness’ ability to get in a rhythm.
His production simply hasn’t been there. An ideal fit in the hybrid fronts that Green Bay deploys, Van Ness has recorded just two pressures since Week 1 and is someone who remains a rotational ‘DPR’ (designated pass-rusher) on long down-and-distances.
Through nine weeks, expectations have not been met by the No. 13 overall pick,” Fowler wrote.
Given the youth movement the Packers underwent this offseason, it is peculiar that Van Ness hasn’t been able to get into the lineup more. The versatility that he showed at Iowa, lining up all along the defensive line, is something many people thought defensive coordinator Joe Barry would take advantage of.
Alas, to this point, that has not been the case. As Fowler noted, Van Ness has been relegated to a part-time role within the defense, only being called upon in obvious passing situations.
That certainly isn’t what many Packers fans had in mind when it was announced that Van Ness was picked 13th overall. But, this has been the team’s MO in recent seasons. Last year’s first-round pick, Devonte Wyatt, didn’t find a consistent role along the defensive line either until injuries occurred later in the season.
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