5 Packers Immediately on Thin Ice to Begin 2025 Offseason

5. Lukas Van Ness

If the Packers want to take a step forward in 2025, their pass rush has to improve.

This season, far too often, opposing quarterbacks were given clean pockets, leaving the Packers' defense scrambling to hold the line. The secondary was forced to cover longer than it should, and defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley resorted to blitzes that left the defense vulnerable.

At the center of the solution lies Lukas Van Ness, the Packers’ 2023 first-round pick. Drafted 13th overall, Van Ness was supposed to grow into a dominant force on the edge. Instead, he regressed in his second season, delivering a disappointing encore to a rookie campaign that was already uneven.

After posting four sacks and 10 quarterback hits as a rookie, Van Ness managed just three sacks and six quarterback hits in 2024, despite an increase in playing time. That’s not the developmental curve Green Bay envisioned when they took a chance on his raw potential.

His athleticism remains tantalizing—he’s strong, quick, and powerful—but he still lacks the refinement to consistently win one-on-one matchups.

This makes Year 3 a pivotal moment for Van Ness. The Packers must decide on his fifth-year option after the season, and there’s no guarantee they’ll exercise it if he continues to plateau.

Green Bay has already declined Eric Stokes’ fifth-year option, showing they’re not afraid to move on from a first-rounder who doesn’t meet expectations.

The good news is that Van Ness has the tools to turn it around. If he can improve his technique and develop a go-to pass-rushing move, he could become the disruptor Green Bay desperately needs.

With Rashan Gary drawing double teams and Brenton Cox Jr. emerging as a complementary piece, the opportunity is there for Van Ness to carve out a bigger role. The Packers are betting on him. Now, it’s time for him to deliver.

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