2023 First Round Pick, #13, Lukas Van Ness

[Joemailman]

I like Van Ness a lot. He's still young and has a lot of upside. Yet those Iowa guys come NFL-ready. No matter who the DC is, you can never have enough good pass rushers. Right after Packers drafted Van Ness, Patriots traded back, so he was probably going to be the Patriots pick. Expecting the emphasis to switch to offense tomorrow.

[RashanGary]

I like Van Ness a lot. He's still young and has a lot of upside. Yet those Iowa guys come NFL-ready. No matter who the DC is, you can never have enough good pass rushers. Right after Packers drafted Van Ness, Patriots traded back, so he was probably going to be the Patriots pick. Expecting the emphasis to switch to offense tomorrow.

The Patriots were on the clock. That’s when trades happen. I wouldn’t go that far.

[RashanGary]

There was a lot going on in the VanNess draft coverage. The three hot girls, prompting Twitter to say he’s gonna be a real one cuz he already has three girlfriends like a savvy nfl vet. And then Lukas’s girlfriend gives his dad a hug and dad slapped her on the butt a couple times.

[run pMc]

Whoo IDK about this guy. The not-starting bit was because Iowa has a seniority thing -- i.e., the seniors/upperclassmen get to start, younger guys rotate in.
He's raw but the tools are there. Strong, athletic, etc. He's 275 and has no bad weight on him. Dude has a fricking 6 pack. His bull rush is decent, his motor is good. Needs a lot of refinement, and if he's as dedicated and hardworking as Rashan Gary he has a chance to be really good.

I think Joe Barry is basically being given the keys to a Ferrari and driving it like it's a John Deere. So much talent on the defensive side and they play passive zone crap and get dogwalked down the field.

Curious to see how the rest of the draft plays out and to hear from GB how LVN fits. He could conceivably put on 15 pounds and play 5-tech, but I think he might be better off in the old Zadarius role where he's an OLB who sometimes lines up over a guard and finds a mismatch.

With Broderick Jones still on the board I'd have looked long and hard at him, but I guess it's an ok pick.

[MadScientist]

It is either Barry mismanaging or Guter picking players who really aren't all that great.

Both can be true.

[MadScientist]

I have no opinion and am disappointed no one is exploding g right now

Hard to explode on this one. It's a reasonable pick from a talent and need perspective. The only reason to explode is that for the millionth year in a row they've ignored receiver in the first round, but we are all too resigned to the fact that a receiver will never be picked by the Packers in the first round again.

[Fritz]

There was a lot going on in the VanNess draft coverage. The three hot girls, prompting Twitter to say he’s gonna be a real one cuz he already has three girlfriends like a savvy nfl vet. And then Lukas’s girlfriend gives his dad a hug and dad slapped her on the butt a couple times.

Maybe the Packers should hire Urban Meyer as Van Ness's position coach.

As I've said before, I don't study the draft much - my reading on Packerrats is the extent of it. So I don't know what to make of the kid. I, like many, had hoped for a trade down - and I still think the Packers were, too - they didn't make the selection right away, like so many teams seemed to do last night. I was surprised at how fast things moved along. So my opinion is that the Packers tried to trade down - I'm guessing Pittsburgh - but that extra fourth rounder wasn't cutting it for them. Maybe they talked to another team, too, but in the end, obviously liked Van Ness better than Myles Murphy or Keion Smith. Or, the other working theory goes, they knew New England was hot for Van Ness - he'd made a visit there - and so they debated a little about Guy A or B, and decided it wasn't worth moving down for because maybe Guy A and Guy B would both be gone in the next four or five picks or whatever it would've been if they'd moved down. So they struck.

From the clips I've seen and what I've read, sounds like the kid is still pretty raw and needs a lot of work to develop some moves. But that can be taught. He certainly fits the Packers' EDGE size profile, and he's got that nice three-cone time. We shall see.

[smuggler]

Kind of reminds me of Aaron Kampman, who also went to Iowa. He might bulk up slightly and play as a down lineman. I don't think he's limber enough to be a wide pass rusher.

[smuggler]

He's a low floor guy. Maybe that's the move in this draft class, where everyone is down on quality in the first round.

[Deputy Nutz]

His sisters are blonde smoke shows. His girlfriend is Cole Kmet's baby sister. For the enjoyment of his sisters' instagram pics it was worth the pick.

It's hard to trust Gute after this pick. I think he is almost paralyzed to take an offensive weapon in the first round, heck there were competent offensive tackles available. Like I said earlier it would be almost impossible for me not to take OT Broderick Jones from Georgia if he was available or Myles Murphy if he was there. Now Murphy dropped deep into the first round. I guess my questioning of this pick has less to do with my best pal Lukas, and has more to do with who the Packers didn't take.

[Fritz]

His sisters are blonde smoke shows. His girlfriend is Cole Kmet's baby sister. For the enjoyment of his sisters' instagram pics it was worth the pick.

It's hard to trust Gute after this pick. I think he is almost paralyzed to take an offensive weapon in the first round, heck there were competent offensive tackles available. Like I said earlier it would be almost impossible for me not to take OT Broderick Jones from Georgia if he was available or Myles Murphy if he was there. Now Murphy dropped deep into the first round. I guess my questioning of this pick has less to do with my best pal Lukas, and has more to do with who the Packers didn't take.

I thought they'd take Broderick Jones and let him sit and learn for a year. Then I wondered if they'd take Jaxon Flaxon Ngaxon since he appears to be the highest-rated receiver in the draft. Then my heart filled with dread as I thought "Oh, god, what if they take Brian Branch or some other ill-fitting, suck-ass safety?" Then my heart dropped further at the thought of them taking that Notre Dame tight end. Michael Myer? Then I thought, "Oh, maybe they'll Myles Murphy."

But of course it was none of the above. I'd be curious why they rated Van Ness higher than Myles Murphy.

Let's hope he's not another Datone Jones or Justin Harrell or even Nick Perry.

[Deputy Nutz]

I thought they'd take Broderick Jones and let him sit and learn for a year. Then I wondered if they'd take Jaxon Flaxon Ngaxon since he appears to be the highest-rated receiver in the draft. Then my heart filled with dread as I thought "Oh, god, what if they take Brian Branch or some other ill-fitting, suck-ass safety?" Then my heart dropped further at the thought of them taking that Notre Dame tight end. Michael Myer? Then I thought, "Oh, maybe they'll Myles Murphy."

But of course it was none of the above. I'd be curious why they rated Van Ness higher than Myles Murphy.

Let's hope he's not another Datone Jones or Justin Harrell or even Nick Perry.

I guess at the end of the day we will never know how they structure their draft boards, and what outside information if any they use to slot guys. I think they either refuse to take certain position in the first round, like they flat out refuse to ever take a receiver and that is one of their rules, or JSN just had too many flags on him to take with the 13th pick.

[Fritz]

Either they have to someday have a defense that plays up to having pretty much all first-and-second-round picks on it, or they've got to break the mold and - gasp - take an offensive player in the first round. Maybe even a wide receiver.

Something's gotta change.

But on the plus side, I'm gonna enjoy Van Ness's sisters this year. I'm guessing several Packer teammates of his will be trying to do the same...

[Fritz]

His sisters are blonde smoke shows. His girlfriend is Cole Kmet's baby sister. For the enjoyment of his sisters' instagram pics it was worth the pick.

It's hard to trust Gute after this pick. I think he is almost paralyzed to take an offensive weapon in the first round, heck there were competent offensive tackles available. Like I said earlier it would be almost impossible for me not to take OT Broderick Jones from Georgia if he was available or Myles Murphy if he was there. Now Murphy dropped deep into the first round. I guess my questioning of this pick has less to do with my best pal Lukas, and has more to do with who the Packers didn't take.

For those of us who are, uh, a little older, and I myself feel a little pervy thinking about those hot sisters, check out his mom, Leanna Van Ness. Hot.

[Deputy Nutz]

Edges:
Preston Smith - Free Agent
Rashan Gary - 1st round pick
Lukas Van Ness - 1st round pick

DT:
Kenny Clark - 1st round pick
Devonte Wyatt - 1st round pick
TJ Slayton - 5th round pick

LB
Quay Walker - 1st round pick
DeVondre Campbell - Free Agent

Safeties
Tarvarious Moore - Free Agent (3rd round 49ers)
Darnell Savage - 1st round pick
Rudy Ford - Free Agent


Corners
Jaire Alexander - 1st round pick
Eric Stokes - 1st round pick
Rasul Douglas - Free Agent

That's a lot of first round picks and a lot of holes on the same defense.