The Green Bay Packers improved to 3-1-1 on the season after defeating the Bengals in Week 6. Unfortunately, however, suffered two crucial injuries, one to defensive end Lukas Van Ness, and the other to offensive lineman Zach Tom. Head coach Matt LaFleur said that they "definitely avoided something serious" with Van Ness, but the third-year defender's status going forward remains unclear. If anything, Tuesday's report by NFL insider Aaron Wilson may suggest that it may keep Van Ness sidelined for a while.
Wilson said that the Packers are working out Andrew Farmer, DJ Johnson, and Jeremiah Moon. The fact that all three players are outside linebackers could reveal that the Packers are already looking for more depth after Van Ness' injury.
Packers Brought In Multiple Defender for Workout Following Lukas Van Ness Injury
Johnson is the most relevant name of that bunch. The former Oregon standout was a third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. Before he was released two weeks ago, Johnson had played 31 games for the Panthers, delivering four tackles for loss, one QB hit, and half a sack. In four games this season, the 26-year-old defender has a 54.8 overall defensive grade and a 54.6 pass rush grade on Pro Football Focus. These numbers are in line with what his previous campaigns looked like in Carolina.
While those are certainly not eye-popping numbers, the Packers don't need Johnson to carry a significant workload. They could consider adding him to the practice squad while elevating one of Kristian Welch, Arron Mosby, or Jamon Johnson to the active roster. Pass rush isn't necessarily a weakness for this team, but if Van Ness also goes on the injured reserve list like Brenton Cox Jr., the Packers' depth on the EDGE will certainly be tested.
The Packers have been a solid pass-rushing team so far this season, with Micah Parsons unsurprisingly looking like one of the best defenders in the league. Rashan Gary will continue to take on as much of the workload as he can in Van Ness' absence. Next up in the pecking order will be Kingsley Enagbare and Barryn Sorrell, who both have looked decent in their limited defensive snaps.
Once we have more of an update on Van Ness' injury, we can have a better idea of what the Packers' plan should be. So far, it's clear that they are considering all of their options to make sure they have enough depth and quality in the position.