Biggest Overreaction From Packers Minicamp, OTAs

Micah Parsons? He’s recovering from a torn ACL. Rashan Gary? He was traded to the Cowboys. Kingsley Enagbare? He signed with the Jets in free agency.

The Green Bay Packers need Lukas Van Ness to fill the void.

Fortunately for the Packers, Van Ness was arguably the MVP of the offseason program. He had an excellent series of practices, capped by a havoc-creating minicamp last week. It was a huge development considering the young and unproven depth chart that is going to have to rise to the occasion without Parsons to start the season.

If that version of Van Ness shows up in Week 1 at the Vikings, Week 2 at the Jets and so on, Green Bay’s defense has a chance to do more than survive the opening weeks of the season.

“I think that with the last two years – two years ago dealing with my thumb and then this past year dealing with the foot injury – not the way I would have envisioned it going,” Van Ness said at minicamp.

“It’s part of the game, part of football, and I think I’ve learned a lot about myself internally. There’s a lot of noise out there, a lot of distractions and just focusing on guys in the building and the task at hand of just winning the Super Bowl. I’m feeling good, I’m feeling healthy, I’m getting back to normal again and I feel good with where I’m at.”

Will that carry over to when it matters? Parsons was the team’s closer. Can Van Ness deliver a game-clinching sack or game-turning play?

Packers Still Waiting for Lukas Van Ness

To be sure, you’d rather have Van Ness dominate the spring than linger in the shadows. So, there’s absolutely no reason to not be excited about Van Ness spending the past three weeks lurking in the Packers’ backfield and in the face of Jordan Love.

Will Van Ness dominate when it matters, though? Or will he return to the shadows, where he’s spent most of his three seasons in the NFL?

In the 2023 NFL Draft, the Packers moved up from No. 15 of the first round to No. 13 as part of the Aaron Rodgers trade. They used that pick on Van Ness. That he didn’t start a game in two seasons with Iowa was irrelevant; that the player nicknamed “Hercules” had 13.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for losses hinted at the potential.

The Packers are still waiting for potential to turn into production. In three seasons, he has 8.5 sacks. Rather than getting better with each season, Van Ness had four sacks and eight tackles for losses in 17 games as a rookie, three sacks and six tackles for losses in 17 games in 2024 and 1.5 sacks and three tackles for losses in nine games in 2025.

Of course, it must be noted that Van Ness played through a broken thumb in 2024 and had his momentum stunted in 2025. In Week 6, Van Ness sustained a foot injury while sacking Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco. At that point, Van Ness had 16 pressures in five games; he had 20 pressures in all of 2024. Of the 73 edge defenders who had at least 100 pass-rushing opportunities over that span, he was a solid 25th in pass-rush win rate.

However, edge defenders are either drafted in the first round or collect outlandish paychecks for one reason: to cause mayhem. Unfortunately for Green Bay, there’s more mayhem in an insurance company’s commercials. Over his three-year career, Van Ness is tied for 140th in sacks, tied for 112th in tackles for losses, tied for 119th in quarterback hits and tied for 118th in pressures.

Enagbare, a modest fifth-round pick in 2022 who was completely replaceable, over that same three-year span is tied with Van Ness in sacks and quarterback hits and beats Van Ness in TFLs (20 to 17) and pressures (39 to 34).

It’s Go Time for Lukas Van Ness

The Packers desperately need Van Ness to step up his game. The offseason practices were a strong step in that direction but, really, who knows what that will mean once the season kicks off.

Asked about the progress of rookie cornerback Brandon Cisse during OTAs, coach Matt LaFleur said: “I heard Dan Campbell talk about these guys in pajamas, so until you get the pads, you never truly know.”

That’s as true of Green Bay’s first draft pick in 2026 as it is Green Bay’s first draft pick in 2023. Until the pads go on and there are real games, a healthy bit of skepticism is needed.

“He’s always prepared the right way,” LaFleur said during minicamp, “but for a lot of these rushers it takes them some time to get going. But I’ve been really happy without pads on in terms of what he’s been able to do.”

Without Parsons, Green Bay is fortunate to play a manageable early-season schedule. In terms of quarterbacks, the Packers will open at Kyler Murray and the Vikings and Geno Smith at the Jets, host Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix and the Falcons, and play at Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers before a Week 5 showdown at Lambeau against Caleb Williams and the Bears.

Last season, 40 quarterbacks threw at least 161 passes (Murray’s number). All six of those quarterbacks finished in the bottom half of the league in passer rating. However, even a mediocre quarterback can carve up a defense when given time.

It’s hardly hyperbole to say the season could hinge on Van Ness’s ability to replace a decent chunk of Parsons’ pass rush.

Is he capable? The offseason program suggests the answer is yes. The last three seasons suggest the answer is no.

“My goal’s always been the same to improve 1 percent every day and continue to get better, and that’s ultimately my goal this season,” Van Ness said. “But, yeah, I felt like I was off to a good start [to last season]. I was really starting to put stuff together. Again, injuries are a part of this game, it was definitely frustrating, but I feel healthy again.

“I’m excited to get a full OTAs under my belt and go into the offseason and now go into training camp with a little more experience. So, feeling good and I’m excited.”

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