No matter how many times a young player is tabbed as "developmental" or "toolsy," they're never treated with much patience in the NFL. Green Bay Packers edge rusher Lukas Van Ness has all the tools of a dangerous defender, but entering his fourth season in the league, he still hadn't put the pieces together.
Packers fans finally caught a glimpse of what Van Ness can be in Green Bay's Week 2 win over the New York Jets. The 25-year-old was dominant, drawing praise from his teammates after the game. Tucker Kraft certainly took notice of Van Ness' performance and refused to limit what he can do.
Per The Athletic's Matt Schneidman, Kraft said: "You hate to say the sky's the limit because I think that he can be even better than that. He's a dog. He's a physical specimen and I'd hate to have to play against him when the lights are actually on."
Packers' Lukas Van Ness is finally turning his potential into reality
There aren't many players who are built like Van Ness. The 6-foot-5, 272-pound defender has a rare combination of strength and athleticism, making him a potential nightmare for opposing blockers. As Kraft noted, Van Ness has the tools to be one of the best edge defenders in football.
But until this past weekend, he had rarely turned that potential into anything of substance. In three seasons, Van Ness had never recorded more than four sacks. He had been a decent run defender but didn't consistently impact the game like a top-15 draft pick should.
That's why it came as a surprise to fans when Green Bay decided to pick up the defender's fifth-year option this offseason. He hadn't done much to suggest that he deserved a contract extension.
Van Ness posted the best game of his career against the Jets, and it couldn't have come at a better time. Without his six pressures, two sacks, and seven run stops, all three of which set or tied career highs, the Packers likely would have left Week 2 with an 0-2 record, sending fans into a panic less than a month into the season.
Fans have been waiting more than three years to see this kind of performance from Van Ness. When his team needed him most, he finally delivered. If Kraft is right, this dominant Week 2 showing might only be the beginning of Van Ness' rise to stardom.
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