The Green Bay Packers enter the 2026 campaign looking to bounce back and make a push for a Super Bowl. The last two years, they've been eliminated in the Wild Card Round, but if they want that to change, they will need several players to elevate their games.
Trevor Sikkema and Connor Rogers from the NFL Stock Exchange podcast released an episode where they ranked every first-round pick since 2023. And the rankings for Lukas Van Ness and Jordan Morgan won't make Green Bay fans thrilled.
Both Sikkema and Rogers placed Van Ness 84th on their lists. As for Morgan, Rogers had him 72nd, and Sikkema had him 74th. And for context, there were 95 players total. Considering how low they are on the list shows how both draft gurus currently view those players.
Lukas Van Ness and Jordan Morgan ranked low by NFL draft analysts
Van Ness was selected with the 13th overall pick in 2023, but he hasn't lived up to expectations. He hasn't been able to carve out a starting role with this team, playing in fewer than 45 percent of the defensive snaps in his career thus far. In 43 career games (two starts), Van Ness has tallied 84 total tackles, 23 QB hits, 17 TFLs, and 8.5 sacks.
The Iowa product has never recorded more than 23 pressures in a season, which isn't ideal for a player taken that high to wreak havoc. Will McDonald IV was taken two picks after Van Ness by the New York Jets and has been way better. In 47 games in New York, McDonald has 72 total tackles, 48 QB hits, 25 TFLs, and 21.5 sacks. Although McDonald has played more than Van Ness, he's also flashed more than him.
It doesn't help that Christian Gonzalez went 17th overall in that same class, becoming one of the top corners in the NFL.
As for Morgan, his time in Green Bay has been up and down. After being selected with the 25th overall pick, he played only six games as a rookie. He dealt with a shoulder injury that knocked him out. When returning in 2025, Morgan was asked to play both guard spots along with right tackle. He wasn't allowed to ease into one position, and that affected his play.
On Pro Football Focus, Morgan had a 59.0 overall grade (48th among 81 graded guards), 57.8 run blocking grade (49th among 81 graded guards), and a 64.3 pass blocking grade (31st among 81 graded guards). He also committed five penalties and allowed 24 pressures.
There have been some inconsistencies in his play, and that selection hurts a little bit more because Green Bay took him over cornerback Cooper DeJean. The Packers and DeJean were heavily linked ahead of the draft, but the team didn't pull the trigger. Instead, DeJean landed with the Philadelphia Eagles, and he quickly became one of the best slot corners in the league, earning Pro Bowl and First-team All-Pro honors.
It's not a secret that Van Ness and Morgan need to improve in 2026, and seeing where they fall on this list is a painful reality.
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