After failing to close out Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns, the Green Bay Packers are back to the drawing board as they head into a marquee Week 4 matchup vs. the Dallas Cowboys. While the Packers' defense has excelled so far, one player has some high expectations in his third season after a subpar start to his career.
Defensive end Lukas Van Ness, the 2023 first-round pick out of Iowa, dealt with a hand injury during his sophomore campaign and has failed to live up to the expectations that were placed on him when he joined the Packers. Bringing in star pass-rusher Micah Parsons certainly helps, but Van Ness is still counted on and has had some bright spots in the early going on a defense full of talent.
It's Time for Lukas Van Ness to Take That Next Step
Coming into the season, Van Ness was expected to be the starter, but was dropped down to second-string when Parsons was brought in. Still, being the former first-rounder that he is, a lot is expected from Van Ness, and now is the time to start putting it together.
He finished the 2024 season with a 53.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus and only registered 20 total pressures across 427 snaps, not the kind of production you would expect from a first-round pick. In the three games so far, Van Ness has five solo tackles and a half sack, providing glimpses of his potential as he continues to develop on a loaded defense.
Despite the relatively slow start, Van Ness has the 37th-best overall Pro Football Focus grade (74.2), 62nd-best pass rush grade (65.4), and 11th-best run defense grade (74.9) among all qualified players at his position. All three are above average, but the run defense grade is clearly the most impressive and shows that he can be a disruptor when he is healthy.
Van Ness is not the only player on the roster who has not lived up to expectations as of yet. Offensive lineman Jordan Morgan was no match at the line of scrimmage for Cleveland's front on Sunday, specifically on the blocked field goal that ultimately led to the Browns' walk-off win.
As the Packers head into a Sunday night meeting with Dallas, all eyes will rightfully be on Parsons to see how he performs in his first game at AT&T Stadium since the trade. Head coach Matt LaFleur will likely have his team ready for battle, something that was not the case against the previously winless Browns.
After a blown opportunity in a game it should have won on Sunday, coupled with all three NFC North rivals winning and the Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and San Francisco 49ers remaining undefeated, the shocking loss proved to be even more costly.
After all the undefeated talk entering the game, the Packers were certainly humbled in Sunday's loss and will look to turn the page and get back on track this weekend. For Van Ness, who is tied for the ninth-most total tackles on the team (9) and one of seven players to record at least a half sack, it presents another opportunity to rise to the occasion and add to a solid start to the season already.