Packers' Lukas Van Ness Given Major Ultimatum Before 2025 Season

Former Iowa Hawkeyes star Lukas Van Ness is entering a critical NFL season with the Green Bay Packers.

Green Bay Packers defensive end Lukas Van Ness (90) celebrates sacking Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis with cornerback Keisean Nixon (25) during the second quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Former Iowa Hawkeyes star Lukas Van Ness has gotten off to somewhat of an inauspicious start over his first couple of NFL seasons with the Green Bay Packers, and now, he finds himself in a tough position.

Van Ness was expected to significantly bolster the Packers' pass rush, but after a decent rookie campaign in which he registered 32 tackles and four sacks, Van Ness completely stagnated in 2024, finishing with 33 tackles and three sacks.

Mitch Widmeier of Zone Coverage feels that 2025 will be critical for Van Ness and that he will essentially need to put up or shut up in Year 3, listing him among the three Packers players with the most to prove this coming season.

"While we aren’t ranking the three listed, it’s impossible to put someone on this roster who has more to prove in 2025 than Van Ness," Widmeier wrote. "A first-round pick in 2023 and the No. 13-overall selection at that, Van Ness has wildly underwhelmed in his first two seasons. His go-to move is straight bull rushing. And, while you can sometimes get away with being a one-trick pony in college, the NFL is a different beast."

Van Ness spent two years at Iowa, accumulating 13.5 sacks. He was then selected by Green Bay with the 13th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. Obviously, that has not translated on to the professional level.

"He’ll need to make a big jump, or else the Packers will be faced with retooling up front at defensive end next year," Widmeier added. "There is nobody on this roster with more to prove than Van Ness entering his third season."

We'll see if Van Ness can finally break out this fall.

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