The 2023 NFL draft is less than one week away, and we here at Commanders Wire will look to profile multiple 2023 prospects daily leading up to day one of the draft.
We will focus on prospects who could be available for Washington and who fit a position of need. Our prospect profiles will not be exclusive to projected first-round picks only but also players who will be selected on the second and third days of the NFL draft.
The Commanders are first on the clock at No. 16 overall.
Today, we profile Iowa defensive end Lukas Van Ness.
The numbers
Size: 6-foot-5, 272 pounds
40-yard dash: 4.58 seconds
Arms: 34″
Hands: 11″
Vertical jump: 31″
Broad jump: 9’10”
10-yard split: 1.64 seconds
Scouting report
Van Ness has everything you are looking for in a modern pass rusher. While he may not be the twitchiest athlete, he’s still an outstanding athlete with an impressive size/speed combo. Van Ness is a power rusher, good against the run and hasn’t played his best football yet. That’s why he’s rising up draft boards.
Here’s Lance Zierlein of NFL.com’s scouting report on Van Ness:
Nicknamed “Hercules” by teammates, Van Ness is a well-developed defensive end with excellent lean mass and additional growth still to come. He’s a power-centric prospect with force as his modus operandi as both a run defender and pass rusher. Van Ness needs to work on hand attacks for quicker block shedding and to diversify his rush beyond bull-rush challenges. He’s taken snaps inside at Iowa but might need to keep filling out his frame before he’s ready to succeed as a run stuffer and pass rusher as a 4i in a 3-4 front. Van Ness is more of a splash player than consistent force on tape, but he possesses projectable traits that should allow for continued ascension as a pro.
College stats
2020: Redshirted.
2021: Van Ness played in all 13 games, finishing with 33 tackles, including 8.5 for loss and seven sacks, to earn freshman All-American honors.
2022: Van Ness played in all 13 games, recording 37 tackles, 10.5 for loss and six sacks. Named second-team All-Big Ten and was a two-time member of the Academic All-Big Ten team.
Highlights
Fit with Commanders
With Chase Young and Montez Sweat in the starting lineup for 2023, Van Ness would be a pick for the future. As a rookie — if the Commanders selected him — Van Ness would be a third-down pass rusher who could also play some inside on passing downs alongside Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne when Washington goes with five defensive linemen.
Van Ness has unlimited upside. So does Young. Washington is hoping year four is Young’s breakout season as he appears fully healthy. If Van Ness is the pick, then it means Young and Sweat are likely battling for a long-term contract with the Commanders. Something else to note, reserve defensive end Efe Obada, James Smith-Williams and Casey Toohill are all scheduled to be free agents in 2024.
