The Green Bay Packers added one of the best pass rushers in the National Football League this season. However, despite having Micah Parsons as the star of the show for Jeff Hafley, Green Bay's pass rush wasn't as elite as expected.
Lukas Van Ness was a popular choice to have a breakout year next to the former Dallas Cowboys star. That wasn't the case early on, but the former first-round pick closed out the season on a higher, more promising note.
That's why, even though not many fans were thrilled to know that Jonathan Gannon was taking the reins as defensive coordinator, they might change their minds once they see him work wonders with Van Ness.
Jonthan Gannon Can Turn the Packers' Pass Rush Into a Force
Gannon didn't do well with the Arizona Cardinals, but his defense in his final season with the Philadelphia Eagles was simply elite. That's especially when it comes to his players getting after the quarterback.
Those Eagles had four players with double-digit sack totals. Hasson Reddick led the pack with 16.0, followed by Javon Hargrave, Brandon Graham, and Josh Sweat with 11.0 apiece. As a team, they piled up 69.0 sacks and 124 QB hits. For context, the second-best team in the league in that category, the Kansas City Chiefs, had 55.0 sacks that season.
The Packers, on the other hand, only saw Parsons top the double-digit sack mark this season. He had 12.5, which sits right around his career average, and that number should only go up once he plays a full season at Lambeau Field.
Van Ness only had 1.5 sacks in nine appearances (two starts) while nursing injuries. That's far from what was expected from an athletic freak and a former first-round pick, especially given how Parsons draws so many double teams and collective attention from the defense.
Rashan Gary might not return next season, and it will be a make-or-break campaign for Van Ness. While he's not Brandon Graham, it wouldn't be shocking to see him double or triple his career-best of 4.0 sacks.
The Packers only had 36.0 sacks and 106 QB hits in Jeff Hafley's final year in charge of the defense. The defense still held its own for the most part and proved to be championship-caliber in big moments. If they can keep that momentum going and take a leap as a pass-rushing unit, this team will be a force to be reckoned with next season, and a lot of that will depend on Lukas Van Ness.