Reaction to Packers Picking Lukas Van Ness
It didn’t take long for Iowa defensive end Lukas Van Ness to go in Thursday’s first round of the NFL draft.
Van Ness went to the Green Bay Packers with the 13th overall selection.
A look at the grades and reaction to the Van Ness selection:
Scott Dochterman of The Athletic gave the Packers a grade of B+ for the selection.
“He possesses violent, heavy hands although as a rookie he will be a work in progress as a run defender,” Dochterman wrote. “With 34-inch arms, a 4.58 40 time and a heavy-handed bull rush, Van Ness has drawn comparisons to Justin Smith and even Howie Long. Van Ness will fit right in as a 3-4 end or outside linebacker.”
Sports Illustrated gave the pick a grade of B-. “The retool is on for the Packers, and a critical draft begins with Van Ness,” Matt Verderame wrote. “The Iowa product was a two-season starter with the Hawkeyes and totaled 13 sacks. He’ll become part of a three-headed monster with Rashan Gary and Preston Smith, giving Green Bay a potentially elite rotation. His power is undeniable, but the question is whether he can develop other ways to get to the quarterback.
Vinny Iyer of The Sporting News gave the pick a grade of C, saying, “There’s no doubt Van Ness has first-round upside with his raw pass-rush skills, standing out with his explosiveness and relentless in getting after the quarterback. But he’s also a bit of a project with limited experience for a team that had more pressing offensive needs at wide receiver, tight end and tackle to boost new young starting quarterback Jordan Love.”
ESPN’s Rob Demovsky said of the pick: “This makes it 12 of the last 13 Packers' first-round picks on defense with the only outlier coming in 2020 when they drafted quarterback Jordan Love. With Rashan Gary coming off an ACL tear last November, this gives the Packers another pass rusher in case Gary isn't ready. Throw in Preston Smith and the Packers hope they have three legitimate edge players.”
NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks said: “Van Ness absolutely fits in Green Bay as an inside/outside pass rusher with violent hands. With prototypical dimensions, the Iowa product will be effective in the rotation alongside Rashan Gary as a power rusher.”
