Healthy, Healed Van Ness Hoping For Breakout Season With Packers
Lukas Van Ness isn't into excuses. Only realities.
And the cold hard truth is Van Ness — the Green Bay Packers' first round draft pick in 2023 — was severely hampered by the broken right thumb he played with last season.
Many expected Van Ness to take a major jump in 2024. Instead, the defensive end had three sacks, six quarterback hits and six tackles for loss in Year 2 after posting four sacks, 10 quarterback hits and eight tackles for loss as a rookie.
That mediocre production has led many to speculate that Van Ness is on the 'Hot Seat' in 2025. Time will tell there.
What the 23-year-old Van Ness knows is that he's healthy today. He didn't need offseason surgery. Just rest and physical therapy.
And now that Van Ness is fully recovered, he's giddy about what awaits.
'Physically I feel fantastic,' Van Ness said Wednesday during the Packers' annual Tailgate Tour across Wisconsin. 'I was dealing with the thumb a lot last year, so I was able to get that back in the offseason and I'm feeling great. I can't wait for this season.'
To protect his broken thumb last year, Van Ness lined up almost exclusively on the right side. That meant Van Ness worked against strictly left tackles, who are typically the best pass blockers on the offensive line.
This season, Van Ness should be able to flip-flop spots with fellow defensive end Rashan Gary throughout a game and could draw more favorable matchups.
'I was really limited last year,' said Van Ness, the 13th overall pick in 2023. 'I could only play on the right side for the most part, due to this broken thumb. Now I can flip back and play on both sides of the defensive line, which I'm really excited about.'
There remains a lot to be excited about when it comes to Van Ness, a physical marvel nicknamed 'Hercules.'
Van Ness ran the 40-yard dash in 4.58 seconds coming out of Iowa at the 2023 NFL Combine. He had the largest hands (11 inches) in the defensive line group that year. His arms are an impressive 34 inches long. And he won't turn 24 until later this summer.
Things have been challenging in Green Bay, though.
Van Ness was a standup outside linebacker as a rookie in 2023, after playing with his hand on the ground at Iowa. The Packers switched from a 3-4 front to a 4-3 base last year, though, meaning Van Ness went back to playing as a traditional defensive end.
Then, the thumb injury added a new set of challenges.
There's no doubt, though, that the Packers needed more from Van Ness in 2024, meaning 2025 becomes a critical year in his development.
'It's important for all our guys, including Lukas,' Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said at this year's NFL Combine. 'Again, we talked a little bit about we need to affect the quarterback more in our front four, with just four players, and Lukas is a big part of that. He does everything he can. He's everything you want in a professional as far as his work ethic and what he puts into it, and I expect him to take a big jump this year.'
Green Bay holds the 23rd pick in the first round of this year's draft. And the Packers could certainly take another defensive lineman, a position where they lack depth.
No matter what happens, Van Ness believes he's ready for bigger and better things.
As seven current and former Packer players spoke to a group college students at Waukesha County Technical College as part of their annual tour Wednesday, team president Mark Murphy talked about the toughness Van Ness has displayed and called him a 'great player.'
Van Ness is excited to try proving Murphy right this upcoming season. And if that happens, Green Bay's defense — which ranked sixth overall and sixth in points allowed last season — could take another step forward.
'My expectations are always going to be higher for myself than anybody else and I've naturally always been that way,' Van Ness said. 'I'm hard on myself, but that ultimately is what pushes me and drives me to be a great player. So, my mindset isn't going to change. I've still got to come to work, compete for my job, compete for a starting spot and I'm excited to do that this upcoming year.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
24 minutes ago
- USA Today
Tennessee football projected for top 35 offense in 2025
No. 18 Tennessee's 2025 football season will kick off in two weeks. Rankings reflect the US LBM Coaches Poll. Ahead of the Vols' season opener versus Syracuse at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, Bill Connelly of ESPN released updated SP+ rankings. Tennessee is ranked No. 12 overall. 'SP+ is a tempo-and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency,' Connelly said. 'It is a predictive measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football, not a résumé ranking, and, along those same lines, these projections aren't intended to be a guess at what the AP top 25 will look like at the end of the year. These are simply early offseason power rankings based on the information we have been able to gather to date." Connelly also ranked Tennessee's offense No. 33, the Vols' defense fourth and special teams No. 21 nationally. He projects the Vols to win 8.9 games in 2025 with the No. 24 strength of schedule ranking. More: Tennessee football projected for bowl game rematch versus Big 12 school Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
Indianapolis Star
26 minutes ago
- Indianapolis Star
5 areas where the Colts still have something to prove after training camp
WESTFIELD -- The Indianapolis Colts wrapped up the Grand Park portion of training camp in Thursday's joint practice against the Packers, setting the stage for Saturday's 1 p.m. preseason kickoff against Green Bay. Injuries have hit the Colts hard over the last two weeks, decimating the cornerback position and creating a temporary deficit at wide receiver and defensive end, although those two spots appear to have fewer long-term concerns than cornerback. Injury has also opened the door for a handful of players to make an impression in training camp, impressions that players have a chance to cement in the final two preseason games before the Colts cut the roster down to 53 players on Aug. 26. With that in mind, here are five spots to watch over the next week, beginning with Saturday's home game against the Packers and ending with the preseason finale in Cincinnati. The battle is still raging between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones. Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen acknowledged Thursday night that time is drawing thin for the Colts to make a decision at the position, but he also said he hasn't made his decision yet, preferring to see how everything plays out in the Packers game and potentially beyond. Jones gets the first two series against Green Bay before giving way to Richardson for the rest of the half, a division of labor designed to invert the way the Colts were forced to play the two quarterbacks against Baltimore, considering Richardson was knocked out of the game with a dislocated pinky finger on the second series. The two quarterbacks have essentially lived up to their reputations in training camp. By IndyStar's unofficial count, Richardson completed 59.2% of his throws, mixing periods of high efficiency with lapses of accuracy, although he didn't consistently throw the deep ball the way he has in the past. Jones completed 68.8% of his throws, but he did not make many plays with the deep ball, and he was often inconsistent on intermediate passes over the middle. The deciding factor may come down to the stuff that isn't easy for fans, media and even the Colts front-office staff to see: the decision-making. The coaching staff knows where the ball is supposed to go on each play, which checks and audibles should have been made. That will likely play a key role in the decision. Colts news: What Colts coach Shane Steichen said about picking a QB Giddens looks like the Colts' best bet to provide a true change of pace for Jonathan Taylor. But it hasn't always been clear that he's going to get that role during training camp. Incumbent backup Tyler Goodson has taken most of the snaps behind Taylor throughout camp, and he has burst, but he's been limited when given opportunities in the regular season the past two years. Giddens, on the other hand, has upside as a runner and pass-catcher. The rookie did drop a pass in the first preseason game, but he's been otherwise reliable as a receiver during training camp, and although he doesn't have Goodson's burst through the hole, he has a knack for finding the hole, avoiding trouble along the way. Big performances by Giddens in the final two preseason games could seal a key offensive role, considering that Goodson is also expected to play a major role on special teams. The Indianapolis starters struggled in the joint practice against Green Bay, but the top five appear to be set, and history suggests that Thursday night's performance was more of an aberration than the expected. An injury to any one of the top five linemen is going to produce questions. Veteran center Danny Pinter has missed more than a week due to injury, which will likely make him Tanor Bortolini's backup at center. Dalton Tucker, by default, appears to be the front-runner to be the top backup at guard, unless Wesley French's versatility puts him in that mix. Then there's the swing tackle job, where rookie Jalen Travis has been battling against Blake Freeland, a third-year player trying to regain momentum. The No. 2 offensive line has had issues during training camp, and if the Colts decide they need help, Indianapolis could wait until the waiver wire to try to find the help it needs. Zaire Franklin is the one known commodity at the position. An ankle injury has knocked the heir apparent on the weak side, Jaylon Carlies, out of the mix. Carlies, who also missed the spring workouts due to offseason shoulder surgery, has likely missed too much time due to injury at this point to have the full confidence of the coaching staff, taking away the Colts' primary plan for Franklin's running mate. Making matters worse, Carlies was still wearing a boot on his right ankle at the joint practice Thursday night, making it unclear when he'll return. That leaves the spot wide open. Veteran Joe Bachie has been the most productive linebacker in training camp, Lawrence Central product Cameron McGrone has been up and down and developmental linebacker Austin Ajiake has flashed at times. A clear front-runner for the position hasn't emerged yet; the final two preseason games might tell the tale. Edwards, an undrafted free agent from Tulane, probably started out training camp hoping to prove himself as a practice squad player. The Colts were loaded with experience at the position. Injuries to Justin Walley (torn ACL), Kenny Moore II (knee), Jaylon Jones (hamstring) and JuJu Brents (hamstring) have pushed Edwards into the starting lineup for the time being. Edwards likely will not have to start the season opener unless another injury occurs, but a path to the 53-man roster is suddenly available, and Edwards has gotten the majority of the chances with the starting unit. A breakout performance against either the Packers or Bengals could make him a sleeper addition to the 53-man roster.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
NFL preseason scores and live updates: Latest from Titans vs. Falcons and Chiefs vs. Seahawks
Hello NFL fans! Welcome to The Athletic' s live coverage of tonight's NFL preseason games. The 2025 preseason enters its second week with a doubleheader. The Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons square off before the Kansas City Chiefs, coming off a Super Bowl LIX appearance, face the Seattle Seahawks. Follow our live news, updates and analysis as we build up to tonight's pair of games.
