Green Bay Packers first-round pick Lukas Van Ness has not earned a starting job this season and is merely a part of the team’s rotation at edge rusher. But the former Iowa star is being brought along slowly by the coaching staff who didn’t expect him to play a bigger role in his rookie year.

Van Ness has played in each of the Packers first nine games this season. He recorded one sack and has made 13 total tackles.

Right now, Van Ness is fourth among Packers edge rushers in playing time behind starters Rashan Gary and Preston Smith and second-year man Kingsley Enagbare. Van Ness has played 34 percent of the Packers defensive snaps this season so far although that number could increase in the second half of his rookie campaign.

Outside linebackers coach Jason Rebrovich has been pleased with Van Ness’ effort and improvement this season. “Is Lukas coming along? Absolutely he is,” he said Wednesday. “Like we said from day one, he’s a freak of nature kid. He comes in here and works every day. He wants to work. He wants to get better. So, all of those things are taking the right steps. He has the right mentality. The process of things, he’s developing through his first year in the NFL for longevity of time. It’s coming through this process that he’s continuing to get better.”

One area Van Ness has definitely improved on is his run defense. While the entire Packers defense has struggled in this area, Van Ness has gotten better at diagnosing plays and getting himself in the right position to disrupt plays or make the tackle. He has made four tackles for loss already this season despite seeing only limited action.

Thus far, through nine games, Van Ness has only missed two tackles according to Pro Football Focus and both came in last week’s loss in Pittsburgh.

Van Ness is still working on his pass rush skills. His first NFL sack came in Week 1 against the Bears. Since then, the coaching staff has helped him by having him be a part of stunts as often as possible when he’s in the lineup on obvious passing downs. Still, that second sack has been elusive.

The Packers always intended to bring Van Ness along slowly. The team had three players who were clearly ahead of him on the depth chart at the start of training camp.

The role model for Van Ness as a rookie was going to be Gary, who the team drafted in the first round in 2019. Like Gary was as a rookie, Van Ness is an elite athlete who needs to improve his technique and learn the nuances of the pro game.

In Gary’s rookie year, he was behind recently signed free agents Preston and Za’Darius Smith on the depth chart along with veteran Kyler Fackrell. Gary played just 24 percent of the Packers defensive snaps as a rookie and recorded just two sacks. People were ready to declare him a bust.

But Gary improved each season and saw a bigger role. His snap total doubled in his second season, and he recorded five sacks. In his third year, he became a full-time starter and added a career high of nine sacks.

The Packers are hoping Van Ness can develop along similar lines as Gary did. With Preston Smith now over 30, Van Ness could be called upon to replace him in a year or two.

Thus far, head coach Matt LaFleur is pleased with what he’s seen from his 2023 first round draft pick.

“I think he’s done a great job. He’s really come in he’s worked his tail off,” LaFleur said. “He’s been able to grasp what we’ve asked him to do. So, I think he’s going to continue to get better and better and better. I’m really excited about what the future holds for him.”

For Van Ness, the future can’t come soon enough. He’s working hard and trying to learn as much as he can as quickly as he can.

The big hope for the Packers is that the second half of Van Ness’ rookie season should be better and more productive than the first half.