The Green Bay Packers are on their final straw with Lukas Van Ness. They have been patient with him, though it hasn’t yielded any results. Maybe he can have a breakout in year three? Based on his previous two years, I wouldn’t be optimistic. He’s struggled in the Packers’ base 4-3 defense and now he’s supposed to line up opposite of Rashan Gary?
The Packers drafted Barryn Sorrell and Collin Oliver in April, and they’ll compete against Van Ness for the other starting EDGE job. I guess it’s likely Van Ness gets it together, but it just doesn’t feel like it. If the Packers believed in him, they wouldn’t have drafted two guys they feel could replace him.
Green Bay has even talked about moving Van Ness to the interior in certain situations to see if he can bring some results that way with his struggles off the edge. Best case scenario is the Packers are able to get enough out of Van Ness that they can use him. Worst case scenario is he gets replaced by a rookie.
Lukas Van Ness is running out of excuses and Packers fans are about to find out why the hard way
Van Ness was a former first-round pick and hasn’t lived up to those expectations. Green Bay fans might have some undying loyalty to him, but Matt LaFleur and the Packers coaching staff may be running out of patience.
In Van Ness’s first two seasons, he had just 65 total tackles and seven sacks. He hasn’t missed a game in his first two years either. As if he needed any more pressure this season to break out, Pro Football Focus listed Van Ness as an X-factor for the Packers this year. The defensive line is the Packers’ biggest weakness so if there ever was a year to have a standout year, it’s this upcoming season.
Van Ness didn’t grade well last year, per PFF, with a 52.9 overall grade, which was outside the top 100 EDGE rushers. He also had just 42 pressures. The Packers would love to rely on him more, but they simply can’t. He hasn’t been consistent enough at generating pressure and getting sacks.
Gary will garner a lot of attention and with him trending toward being a bust, opposing teams will probably avoid focusing on him. That should give him the chance to make some plays early and make an impact. The Packers are relying on it.
If he doesn’t the Packers could move on from him and end things before they get worse. I know that’s probably not what Packers fans want to hear, but that’s the reality of where the Packers are if his struggles continue in 2025.