Hopes were high for linebacker Lukas Van Ness to be an impactful player for the Green Bay Packers when they spent a high pick to get him in the 2023 NFL draft. Selected 13th overall in that year’s draft, Van Ness has been pedestrian on the field through his first two seasons in the league.
There is a learning curve in the pros, and it’s different for each player. Van Ness could just be taking a little longer to finally feel comfortable about his role on the team, especially since the Packers moved from a 3-4 front to a 4-3 base in the 2024 campaign, which got the former Iowa Hawkeyes star sliding to more of a defensive end role from being an outside linebacker during his rookie season in 2023.