Lukas Van Ness

Lukas Van Ness is practicing on Tuesday.

Fantasy Impact

Van Ness has his right thumb heavily wrapped, but he is still practicing with the Packers.

The Green Bay Packers have selected EDGE Lukas Van Ness with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Fantasy Impact

The Packers received the Jets’ 13th overall pick in the deal that sent Aaron Rodgers to New York and they used it on their defense, rather than giving new starting QB Jordan Love help on offense. Thor Nystrom has Van Ness as No. 11 overall and ED3 with an NFL player comp of Trey Hendrickson on his Top 500 big board. Van Ness wasn’t even a starter at Iowa but his talent and motor were enough to make him the No. 13 pick in this year’s draft. At 6’4”, 272 lbs, Van Ness and his giant 11” hands were a force to be reckoned with in the Big Ten and collected 13.5 sacks in the last two seasons at Iowa. Green Bay had two first-round picks in 2022 and took LB Quay Walker and DL Devonte Wyatt, both out of Georgia and the Packers once again went the defensive route this year. Van Ness’ size and athleticism will translate to the NFL level and he should be another nice addition as Green Bay’s third first-round defensive pick in two years.