The Most Important Packers: No. 12 — DE Lukas Van Ness

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NFC Wild Card Playoffs - Green Bay Packers v Dallas Cowboys

The Green Bay Packers were arguably the most disappointing team in football last year. And perhaps no one did less with more than Packers’ coach Matt LaFleur.

Green Bay headed into the 2025 season with one of the NFL’s top rosters, then traded for star defensive end Micah Parsons 10 days before the year began. Suddenly, Packer Nation was dreaming of their first Super Bowl appearance since 2010.

Instead, Green Bay went a remarkably unsatisfying 9-8-1 overall and was the NFC’s No. 7 seed for a third consecutive year. The Packers then blew a 21-3 halftime lead in the Wild Card round against Chicago, gave up 25 fourth quarter points and eventually suffered a shocking 31-27 loss to the arch-rival Bears.

“No way you should lose games in this league when you’re up that much,” running back Josh Jacobs said.

Green Bay, which began the year 9-3-1, finished the season with five straight losses. The Packers now enter 2026 with the league’s fourth-longest losing streak.

Collapsing late in games was the story of Green Bay’s 2025 campaign.

Green Bay had double digit leads in the final minutes twice against Chicago and also vs. Cleveland and somehow went 0-3 in those games. The Packers’ odds of losing all three contests were 1-in-250,000, yet they somehow did it.

“That (expletive), it’s starting to get damn-near embarrassing,” safety Javon Bullard said.

Rebounding won’t be easy as the Packers were hit hard in free agency and didn't have a first round draft pick.

Green Bay’s first training camp practice is July 29. Between now and then I will count down the ‘30 Most Important Packers’ heading into the 2026 campaign.

At No. 12 is linebacker Lukas Van Ness

No. 12

Lukas Van Ness, OLB

Last season

Van Ness missed eight games with a foot injury during an extremely frustrating 2025 campaign.

Van Ness finished the year with just 19 tackles, 1.5 sacks, three tackles for loss and wasn’t part of a single turnover play.

Van Ness did earn a 75.5 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, which ranked 27th among 115 qualified edge defenders. His pass-rush grade of 68.5 ranked 46^th and his run-defense grade of 72.1 ranked 20^th.

The Packers exercised the fifth year option on Van Ness's rookie contract, fully guaranteeing his 2027 salary at approximately $13.8 million.

Career to date

Van Ness, the Packers’ first round pick in 2023, played 32.9% of the snaps during his rookie season. Van Ness played in all 17 games that year, recorded 32 tackles (24 solo), eight tackles for loss (tied for No. 2 on the team), had one pass defensed, four sacks and 10 quarterback hits (fifth the team).

Van Ness appeared in both postseason contests, recorded five tackles (four solo), a sack, a tackle for a loss and a quarterback hit.

Van Ness got better as his rookie year went on, recording four sacks in his final eight games (including playoffs).

Van Ness played with a broken right thumb in 2024 that hampered him throughout the season. Van Ness finished the 2024 campaign with disappointing numbers of three sacks, six quarterback hits and six tackles for loss.

To protect his broken thumb in 2024, Van Ness lined up almost exclusively on the right side. That meant Van Ness worked against strictly left tackles, who are typically the best pass blockers on the offensive line.

“I was really limited,” Van Ness said

Outlook

Now, more than any time since his arrival, the Packers need big things from Van Ness.

Van Ness, nicknamed Hercules, has been nothing like a Greek hero. Not even close.

In three seasons, Van Ness has just 8.5 sacks, has been part of only two turnover plays and has averaged 28.0 tackles per season.

With star defensive end Micah Parsons expected to miss approximately the first six games, someone — anyone — has to pressure the quarterback. The best candidate is undoubtedly Van Ness.

Van Ness ran the 40-yard dash in 4.58 seconds at the 2023 NFL Combine. He had the largest hands (11 inches) in the defensive line group that year. His arms are also an impressive 34 inches long.

Van Ness has all the tools. Now it’s time for him to deliver.

They said it …

“Just between last year, dealing with my foot, and then the year prior with the broken thumb … there's definitely been a lot of ups and downs, and probably not the ideal way I would have envisioned my career. But obviously the opportunity is presenting itself, and … ultimately, you just have to go and take advantage of that opportunity. So I'm excited to see how that shows on Sundays.” — Van Ness on the opportunity that awaits

“I’ve kind of been saying this since Day 1, since I walked in here, I think the sky’s the limit for him. I think whatever he puts his mind to, he can do it. It’s about him being out there, being consistent like all of our players on a daily basis. I think the more you’re out there, the more you do it, the more consistent you are, the better you’re going to be. I’m looking forward to watching him grow like I’ve been seeing him this past 1½ years.” — Packers outside linebackers coach DeMarcus Covington on Van Ness

“Van Ness .. a guy that just shows up and works. I think he's learning a lot right now, but he is a valuable piece. After the season, when you go back and you watch all the film, and you just see we used him in a lot of different ways, whether it was outside on the edge or kicking it down inside, he was a disruptive presence.” — Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur on Van Ness