The narrative here is that VanNess, like most of our players, just isn't very good. The reality is different. This is a solid defender who is only going to get better.

Van Ness' problem is lean and bend. He doesn't have the physical mass and strength to overpower opponents at this level, and when he tries to use leverage, he winds up washed out of the play or face down on the field.

Maybe a new DL coach can bring something out of him the last one couldn't.

learning a new system after his rookie season, lets' see how he looks this season.

Van Ness is not a bust yet, but I do not see the drive or awareness of a need for self development. The fact that he just does the same thing over and over is on coaching. It should be made clear to him that won’t get him snaps or results. However, ultimately it’s as much on him too. Improve yourself.

You are not Hercules in this league, you are frankly, currently, a make weight nobody. With your tools, it’s up to you if you accept that. Do you want a career? Right now you probably don’t earn the snaps you are getting. A UDFA outplayed you (Cox) versus run and pass.

Walter Football had this to say-
Strengths:
Quick off the ball
Straight-line speed
Good motor
Gives relentless effort
Upper body strength
Can line up inside in the sub package
Sturdy end
Good size
Sufficient instincts

Weaknesses:
Struggles to get off blocks
Does not use hands well
Stiffer athlete
Lacks pass-rushing moves

They were right.

He improved? I don't think so. He had more defensive snaps last season but less production from a pass rushing standpoint. Sacks, QB hits, and TFLs were down. Really his best trait seems to be his speed, as you'll occasionally see him chase down ball carriers from behind in a more open field to limit the damage. But as far as getting off blocks and developing an arsenal of pass rush moves, he has a lot of work to do. Maybe a new DL coach can help him out; I sure hope so. If we end up using a first-round pick on another pass rusher, that tells you a lot about what Gute and the coaching staff think about his prospects going forward.

I just wonder if he would be better inside as opposed to outside.
It might make the learning curve a little less severe.
It seems to me that when he is anchored in a spot he is tough to move. His difficulty seems to be counter moves and change of direction.

Both Van Ness and Gary were development projects and it shows. Both of them took several years to hone their skills. Gary hasn't reached the ceiling desired and who knows if Van Ness will.

My point is that time is wasted on development of the rookie contract. Then big bucks are spent on potential.

I 'd rather Gute picks a player that demonstrates a high ceiling before the second contract.

" You can't always get what you want "

Even when you try, sometimes, you 'can't' get what you need.

LVN isn't a bust, but his try isn't going to be anything special, and neither is Gary, though you get a little of what you need from Gary.

On the positive side, different players develop at different rates. Sometimes it takes a while for the "light to go on." Also, the firing of the DL coach seems to indicate that the teams believe in their players, but were not happy with their development curves.
On the negative side, Gutekunst has a strong tendency to draft players with high RAS scores, rather than players who might not test as high, but are football players. Remember all the hype about the size of Dillon's thighs? Reporters were swooning. But on the field, he couldn't contribute consistently. Now we have Van Ness, who was compared to Hercules. Let the swooning begin again.
So, is he a bust? Not yet. Let's give him another year or so under the tutelage of (hopefully) a better DL coach, and hope he can learn more moves.

Gute should have drafted Will McDonald 1V. He had 10.5 sacks as a rookie compared to 2 sacks from Lukas Van Ness in two
years combined. Gute does address needs in the draft but he picks the wrong players

Gute still hasn't got the memo that top 13 picks should preferably be day 1 "impact picks," not 3 year "project picks." For project picks, you trade down! In our draft vicinity, DT Jalen Carter was the no brainer picked 4 spots ahead of us; if Gute tried to trade up for him, fantastic, there's light at the end of the tunnel. CB Christian Gonzalez would have been ideal @13 or trade back several times to load up in round 2 where CB Porter, DT Benton, WR Rice, S Branch, OG Mauch may have been had.

I think its important to remember that he's still fairly young, and only played two seasons of college ball. Packers knew he'd have to mature a bit. I think this year will be the tell.

Just glad they're looking to improve the DL coaching. Felt all along the last couple of years that our DL was not playing up to their potential. Amazing what improved coaching can do for a team, and, DL is paramount towards the Packers future success, with a ton of high cost investments made there.

Kenny Clark, himself, had one of his worst seasons last year. I expect WAY more out of both Rashan Gary AND Lukas Van Ness. Hopefully, they get the right guidance moving forward. Not that I don't appreciate those players, but, I feel they can both become game wreckers on our D, which will take a ton of pressure off our Packers secondary. Enagbare needs to ramp it up too.

I anticipate seeing more from both Wooden and Brooks as well with improved DL coaching.

This DL needs BEEF up front besides Slaton, who I'm not certain survives in GB... Kenny Clark's best years were playing NT. He needed a legit backup to work in rotation that Brian Gutekunst never gave him. Barry F'd it up and had Clark lose weight to play 3T. We need proper middle DL improvements if we're to get any further, along with better play from the EDGE...

IMO, if we can sign or trade for a superior edge, it will elevate everyone, including the dbacks. Gary and LVN would improve immediately.
Crosby—go get’em!
Go Packers!!!

11 = number of the athlete; the two premier DL showcasing it, particularly Garrett as he was also born on an 11 day (29th)

Crosby 08-22-1997 0+8+22+1+9+9+7 = 56 5+6 = 11
Garrett 12-29-1995 1+2+2+9+1+9+9+5 = 38 3+8 = 11

🐍year begins Jan 29th
Garrett born in a 🐷 year
🐍 & 🐷enemy signs

⚠️BUYER BEWARE!!!

The 13th pick in the 1st round two years ago... Gute again wasted another 1st round pick. LVN is a not what he was drafted for. It was a major reach by GUTE, another lousy 1st round pick. Maybe its time for a new GM...? Packers would be better off going the free agent route because they have trouble drafting Defensive Pass rushers. Time to go free agent shopping for Defensive ballplayers from the NY Giants, Jets, Raiders and LA Rams.

Any first round picks dubbed developmental are bad picks, perhaps with an exception at QB. First, past performance shows little evidence of future success so there is a very real risk of expensive busting. Second, salary cap strategy requires a team to get max value out of rookie contracts, especially top picks. Look at Gary. Nominal production, then shows some promise, signs a huge deal, and then flat lines. So the rookie contract benefit was a waste and now he is over paid. I would much prefer we draft a #1 who is penciled in ready to start. Then we get 4 solid years and either let him walk for a compensatory pick or reward with a second contract. Leave developmental players for mid and late rounds where it does not matter as much.

I don't remember Van Ness' number being called anytime in the year. I'd give him 1 more year and then kick his @$$ of the roster in a trade. He is not a 1st teamer DE, but a promising player who turned out to be an Iowa dud!

The one question I have about Van Ness is not really about Van Ness. Its about Jason Rebrovich. It sounded like some didn't like Rebrovich being kept. He started out in GB in 2022 as an OLB coach. Then in 2023 he was a the pass rush specialist and then in 2024 he was the DL coach. The Packers were quick to let him go after the season. To me it feels like they really didn't like how they were being taught along the DL.

So what I'm hoping is whoever comes in to be the next DL coach, they can start to untap some of the talent hat Van Ness has. Van Ness has the ability to be a very good player. I'm not saying he is going to be JJ Watt or TJ Watt or anything, but he has talent to be better then what he showed this year.

I wonder if it was LVN’s lack of impact that hastened Rebrovich’s dismissal.

Does coaching make a big difference? Packers' recent D examples:

Exhibit one: Compare Hafley to Barry. Sure did.

Exhibit two: Compare Rebrovich to Mike Smith. Yep.

Smith was Gary's coach for his formative first 3 seasons, steady growth each year...and 2021 was his best. Smith left after '21 (Barry Ball did not appeal to him) and Rebrovich replaced him. Gary has continued to play solid the last two years but seems to have hit a ceiling. Can a new coach who is a teacher and a motivator break through his ceiling? I think so.

I was not enamored with LVN's selection. But his 2 formative years with Rebrovich have him already bumping a ceiling. For a raw college DL player (only really played for 2 years at Iowa), he needed an excellent NFL DL coach like Gary had.

Maybe he will get one now and prove the naysayers (where I am trending) wrong. I was not enamored with the Gary pick either, but he proved me wrong...and Mike Smith helped.

In analyzing a situation more than one thing can be true at the same time.

LVN is a very athletic (as evidenced by a high RAS and combine performance) and fast player. True.

LVN was probably over-drafted at the place of his selection in the draft. True. He's not yet a bust as some would say but he hasn't yet met expectations.

LVN does still retain some hopeful upside which possibly better coaching and time can bring from him. Likely true.

Just by rote and opportunity he will and should fall into some good plays from time to time just from being on the field of play. That too is true and that's about where he is right now.

Green Bay needs to do a better job at finding impactful players with their high draft picks. Also likely true.

There's an old saying about talking something up to being prettier/better than it actually is....it's goes..."putting lipstick on a pig".....and that's what comes to mind in reading about the improvements in LVN's game year over year. I gave him a pass his rookie season, bc the reasons everyone knows. But this year, after playing a season of pro football and an off season of preparation to the new year....we get 33 tackles and 4 sacks in a 17 game span.....there's no way that I can view that stat line as an improvement....it's below average....at best. IMO, he has regressed bc nothing in his game improved from year to year. He lines up, bull rushes the man in front of him. There's no technique, no go to move, no surprises...nothing special at all.

I've said on this board before that LVN needs one more year to "prove it", and I still believe that. The kid has too many intriguing tools to give up on. My hope is that the firing of Rebrovich and hiring of someone who can actually do the job, will help LVN and the entire D line. But LVN MUST get with an off season development program to refine his skills and technique to be a next level player bc Rebrovich has done nothing for this kid....2025 season is either boom or bust for LVN.....I'm hoping for the best...

Goal of the off season: SIGN MAXX CROSBY