The Green Bay Packers did not acquire a shiny new toy for Jordan Love during the first round of the 2023 draft. Big surprise. Instead of grabbing a pass-catcher, the Packers stuck to their tendencies and drafted Lukas Van Ness, a hulking, hyper-athletic edge rusher with huge upside.
Love needs help around him. No doubt about it. But football games are often won by the big guys, and premium picks are required to get the biggest, baddest and most athletic players. By measurables alone, Van Ness is one of the biggest and most athletic edge rushers in the entire class and a truly incredible blend of height, bulk, speed, power and agility. He’s nicknamed Hercules for a reason; Van Ness bull-rushed right through first-round offensive tackles Paris Johnson and Peter Skoronski on individual reps at Iowa. There just aren’t many human beings who are almost 275 pounds and run 4.5 in the 40-yard dash. For reference: Van Ness weighs over 100 pounds more than Minnesota Vikings first-round pick Jordan Addison, but he produced the same 10-yard split and a better three-cone. He’s a rare size and athleticism combo.
