Packers 2023 Rookie Preview: Lukas Van Ness, no. 13 overall

The 2023 NFL Draft has come to a close, and the Green Bay Packers have come away with some exciting players to kick off the post-Aaron Rodgers era.

Despite the Packers not taking a pass catcher in Round 1, the team came away with two promising tight ends and three wideouts over the three-day event. Along with those skill players, the Packers took a big swing on a prospect with unlimited upside in Iowa Hawkeyes EDGE Lukas Van Ness.

In this new YouTube series, Tyler Brooke will be breaking down the All-22 film to give fans a better idea of the strengths and weaknesses of each prospect in this 2023 draft class. It’ll be a great opportunity for fans to learn more about each prospect, especially during the slowest time of the NFL offseason.

If you enjoy the videos, subscribe to Tyler’s YouTube channel, and feel free to provide any feedback in the comments below or on the video itself.

0:40 - Lukas Van Ness athletic profile/background

2:05 - Intro to All-22 film and pass-rush strengths

6:30 - Strengths as a run defender

12:10 - Weaknesses

19:22 - Projected role and outro

Here are Tyler’s pre-draft scouting notes on Van Ness, who he had as his 18th overall prospect with a first-round grade on his final big board:

Known as ‘Hercules’ by his teammates, an extremely athletic EDGE prsopect who primarily won with power at Iowa. However, not sure about his overall gameplan and technique as a pass rusher, making him a bit more a project than people are talking about. Very good upper body play strength to generate pressure consistently with his bull rush. Brings a ton of pop into his tackles, exploding through hips to maximize punishment. Good leg drive and motor when engaged with blockers. Motor also shows up when pursuing from the backside on runs. Shows good extension when engaged with blockers against the run to be able to more easily disengage and shed blocks. Looks a bit stiff when trying to change direction or get around the corner with limited bend. False stepping and short strides can hurt his ability to cover ground quickly off the snap as a pass rusher. Lack of playing time likely big reason he has a very limited pass-rush arsenal with limited hand usage. Was never a starter for Iowa (declared as a RS sophomore), but had 13 sacks over two seasons.

In next week’s episode, Tyler will be breaking down one of the team’s two second-round picks (depending on available film) with former Oregon State tight end Luke Musgrave and Michigan State wide receiver Jayden Reed.