Matt LaFleur on Lukas Van Ness: 'Somebody we're certainly excited about'

The Green Bay Packers returned Lukas Van Ness to the field at the end of minicamp after the second-year defender suffered a broken finger amid OTAs. Despite the setback, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur sees the former Hawkeyes star taking a big step forward in 2024.

“I’m excited about Lukas,” Matt LaFleur said earlier this month. “A lot of times you see guys that are pass rushers take a huge jump from Year 1 to Year 2. He’s a guy that’s put in a ton of work. I think his body looks great. It’s unfortunate that he broke his time. But he’s getting more time out there and he’s somebody that we’re certainly excited about.”

“Like the receiving group, we feel really good about our front,” he continued. “There’s a lot of players there. We feel really good about the collective unit.”

Even when his broken thumb hindered his participation on the field, LaFleur commended Van Ness for coming to work ready to get better in whatever way he could this summer.

“He’s been outstanding,” LaFleur added. “Talk about a guy that comes to work with the right mentality every day. He’s the epitome of that. You can see the growth and we can still see it. He’s somebody that’s certainly capable. he brings an edge to the defense.”

Lukas Van Ness’s value increases as Packers switch up scheme

As the Packers switch up their defensive scheme, Van Ness becomes an even bigger asset to LaFleur. He brings experience playing both defensive tackle and defensive end. While at Iowa, he recorded 71 tackles (19.5 for loss) and 13.5 sacks and his versatility stood out to the Packers in the draft process. Though he didn’t start, Van Ness played on the defensive line for two seasons at Iowa before the team selected him No. 13 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.

As a rookie, Van Ness played in all 17 games for Green Bay. He accumulated 32 tackles, including 24 solo tackles. He also had four sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss.

LaFleur doesn’t see Van Ness’s early preseason injury holding him back by the time training camp rolls around. According to the head coach, the defensive end broke “just the tip” of his thumb and is expected to make a full recovery. The veterans on the team will report for camp on July 21, with rookies reporting on July 17.