One of the last things a fan wants to hear after their pick is announced in the first round of the draft is, "he'll be a project player." It drains the excitement away of possibly having a contributor the following season and instead, it tells you to be patient, which football fans rarely are. It's like you're a kid and your birthday just rolled around and instead of getting that cool new toy to play with right then and there, your parents gave you a savings bond and your Dad can't stop telling you about how it'll be worth so much money in a couple of years when it matures. As fans of the Green Bay Packers, we're very much used to being given those savings bonds when draft day rolls around. They're dull and unexciting at first, but suddenly after a few years, they're some of the most valuable items in our possession as our patience begins to pay off. 

Looking at the past, some of those most notable project picks were names like Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love, and Rashan Gary. Rashan Gary might be the most notable "project pick" in recent Packers history as he was taken 12th overall in 2019. Packers fans, including yours truly were very confused by the pick, some were even angry with it. How can you have such a high pick, and spend it on a guy that won't contribute for a few years? Sure it was a little disappointing to think our top-15 pick may not make a difference for another season or two, but after watching Rashan Gary for a bit I began to buy into the fact that if we put him on the field now, he could just be "good" but if we wait a year or so, let him develop and have some patience, he could turn to "great." 

That patience has paid off for Packer fans as Rashan Gary is currently one of the best pass rushers in the league. Injuries have derailed the past two seasons for him a bit, but he's a pass rusher who's always right on the cusp of that double-digit sack season. Even if he doesn't have the sack stat, his pressure on the QB is seemingly never-ending and can lead to turnovers. In 2023 the Packers made another Rashan Gary-like move in drafting pass rusher Lukas Van Ness 13th overall to yet again, be another "project player." This time, I was a lot more willing to buy in. And this year may actually be the time to cash in on our patience. 

Statistically speaking, Lukas Van Ness actually had a better rookie season than Rashan Gary. Van Ness had 4 sacks to Gary's 2, Van Ness had 8 tackles for loss to Gary's 3, and Van Ness also had 10 QB hits to Gary's 3. But it must be taken into account that Van Ness played one more game than Gary and also had 365 defensive snaps his rookie season to Gary's 244. It was roughly the same situation, but different at the same time. Gary was drafted to sit behind two recently signed free-agent pass rushers, Za'Darius and Preston Smith. Van Ness was behind Preston Smith and Rashan Gary, but he may have benefited a bit from the Packers knowing what they had in Smith and Gary so they knew when to use them and when to give Van Ness a few snaps. 

Setting the Stage for 2024

In his rookie season in 2023, Lukas Van Ness had to learn to play off the edge standing up. He was drafted by a team that ran a 3-4 defense, but even then, he still occasionally put his hand in the dirt when coming off the edge. In college at Iowa, Van Ness played defensive end and occasionally defensive tackle, always with his hand in the ground lined up. So, you could say he is back at home in a way. Does that mean his last season of development and learning was a loss because he was learning a different way that he'll no longer use? No, in fact, it may have been beneficial for him to get a taste of some new and different techniques. Coming off the edge in a two-point instead of three can be a little more speed or finesse-oriented trying to get the upper hand on an offensive tackle before they're ready, This can be beneficial to catch a lineman off-guard when they're expecting more power coming out of a three-point stance. 

So far, in Training Camp, Lukas Van Ness has been making his presence known. Obviously, with the Quarterbacks wearing the red shirts we can't count true sacks, only potential sacks. But in the world of potential sacks, Van Ness may be second just behind Rashan Gary. Admittedly, a lot of the havoc Van Ness has been wreaking has been on backups. Kadeem Telford has gotten beat up a bit by Van Ness when they've faced each other, as well as Caleb Jones. He's been in the face of Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt often and also has gotten potential sacks on Jordan Love if not at least hurried throws. Put some of those reps against Jordan Love against an opposing team's QB and perhaps they're laying on the ground. Rashan Gary has thoroughly embarrassed Andre Dillard so far in camp, I'd honestly like to see Van Ness lined up against the former first-round tackle to see if he has the same success. 

Of course, this all needs to translate to the field on game day. 

Last year was just the beginning. This year I think Van Ness will be a bit more comfortable in his role and that will lead to lots of success. We saw a few stunts run with Devonte Wyatt last season, one notable one leading to a sack of Buccaneers Quarterback Baker Mayfield. With Van Ness now putting his hand in the dirt, I think we're going to see a lot more of those stunts, and hopefully, they will lead to more sacks on the stat sheet for both players. One thing that I think needs to happen is that Lukas Van Ness needs to find his attitude. 

Something that's sorely needed out of any pass rusher is that dawg mentality, that ruthless aggression to destroy anything that lays between you and taking down the Quarterback. Over the years, we've seen that in several Packers pass rushers. The most notable to me, both wear or have worn number 52 in Rashan Gary and Clay Matthews. Van Ness is lucky to have Rashan Gary to model after. Lukas Van Ness was advertised to have a high motor, and a relentlessness to make the play. We've seen that on the stat sheet, but haven't as much felt that relentlessness in a game. We don't just want the opposing team to realize Lukas Van Ness is playing, we want them to feel it too. Through sacks, big hits, and also celebration. Make a play, get the crowd fired up and on your side. 

No time is better than the present for a Lukas Van Ness breakout. It's time to unleash the beast within and team up with Rashan Gary to wreak havoc on opposing QB's.