Lukas Van Ness Fantasy Stats

The Green Bay Packers picked up the fifth-year option for edge rusher Lukas Van Ness (foot) on Thursday, a source told Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. It will guarantee Van Ness a 2027 salary of around $13.8 million. Despite missing around half of last season with a foot injury, the Packers appear confident that he'll be able to rebound this year and next year. The 24-year-old was taken by Green Bay with the 13th overall pick in 2023 out of Iowa, and he contributed 84 tackles (58 solo), 8.5 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, and 23 QB hits in 43 games (two starts) in his first three NFL seasons. Van Ness played in only nine games in 2025 due to his foot injury, finishing with 19 tackles (12 solo), 1.5 sacks, three tackles for loss, and seven QB hits. The Packers will be relying on two edge rushers coming off major injuries last year, as Micah Parsons (knee) attempts to recover from a torn ACL that he suffered in late December.

Green Bay Packers linebacker Lukas Van Ness (elbow) is questionable to return in Week 2 versus the Atlanta Falcons. The rookie had logged two tackles before exiting the contest. Kingsley Enagbare and Justin Hollins will earn more snaps in Van Ness' absence.

With Green Bay Packers pass-rusher Rashan Gary (knee) still rehabbing last year's knee injury, rookie defensive end Lukas Van Ness, the No. 13 overall pick in this year's NFL draft, received plenty of repetitions with the No. 1 and No. 2 defensive fronts during offseason practices. The rookie showed both power and speed as a pass-rusher, but it's almost impossible to know if it will translate from non-padded and non-contact practices to the real thing this fall. The 21-year-old has a high motor and is a very versatile defender, but his best position will most likely end up being at defensive end. Van Ness was extremely productive in college at Iowa, producing 13.5 sacks in his final two seasons combined.

The Packers selected Iowa defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness with the No. 13 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. The 21-year-old played two seasons with the Hawkeyes, amassing 69 total tackles and 13.5 sacks. He still has some work to do regarding his development, so he may not be impactful early on in his career. However, Green Bay obviously saw something in Van Ness, so he's someone to consider later in dynasty IDP formats.