It isn’t terribly uncommon for a participant who was a depth participant in faculty to be drafted into the NFL.

It’s, nonetheless, uncommon for a participant with none begins to be drafted within the first spherical. However we are going to doubtless see that within the 2023 NFL Draft with Iowa defender Lukas Van Ness. Van Ness is extremely regarded after two good years at Iowa and a formidable draft course of. However he was additionally a part-time participant in Iowa’s protection, even by defensive position requirements.

Nevertheless, Van Ness is definitely spectacular each time he’s on the sphere, and that’s powered his stand up draft boards.

At this level he’s unlikely to be round when the New York Giants draft at twenty fifth general, however he might assist tackle their want at defensive position and edge.

Prospect: Lukas Van Ness (91)
Video games Watched: vs. Iowa State (2022), vs. Michigan (2022), vs. Ohio State (2022)

Measurables

Profession Stats

Video games Performed: 26
Tackles: 70
Tackles for a loss: 19.0
Sacks: 13.0
Passes defensed: 1

2022 Stats

Video games Performed: 13
Tackles: 37
Tackles for a loss: 10.5
Sacks: 6.0
Passes defensed: 0

Fast Abstract

Greatest: Measurement, size, play energy, aggressive toughness, athleticism
Worst: Pace counter, decrease physique fluidity
Projection: A beginning defensive lineman or EDGE with scheme versatility.

Sport Tape

(Van Ness is Iowa DE/EDGE quantity 91)

Full Report

Iowa edge defender Lukas Van Ness is an enormous, lengthy, athletic, and highly effective defensive prospect.

Van Ness has a uncommon mixture of dimension, size, and athleticism for the place, standing 6-foot-5, 272, and 34-inch arms – in addition to a 4.58-second 40 yard sprint and a 7-second 3-cone drill. That mix of dimension and athleticism allowed Van Ness to line up everywhere in the Iowa defensive position. He performed each place from a stand-up defensive finish to nostril deal with, relying on the down, distance, and play name.

Van Ness relied closely on his spectacular play energy and size as a move rusher. He made frequent use of a potent bull rush as his go-to transfer, and included a long-arm transfer occasionally as a counter. Whereas Van Ness is an unsophisticated rusher, he gave blockers complications. He has really spectacular energy and customarily performed with good leverage, which was typically sufficient to drive offensive linemen into the backfield. He additionally typically did a superb job of becoming his arms inside blockers’ framework and utilizing his size to maintain his physique clear.

Van Ness performed equally as a run defender as a move rusher. He used his dimension and energy to set a agency edge, whereas his size and play energy allowed him to make performs off of blockers. Van Ness is a really exhausting hitter and infrequently allowed yards after contact.

The only largest query relating to Van Ness’ recreation doesn’t have something to do with what he did on the sphere, however fairly why he wasn’t on the sphere.

Van Ness didn’t begin a single recreation for Iowa, and was clearly a part-time participant throughout video games. It might be complete sequence earlier than he was rotated onto the sphere, after which could be absent from the sphere for lengthy stretches of time all through the sport. Groups might want to do their due diligence to search out out precisely why that is the case. It wouldn’t be honest to let the very fact affect his general analysis with out understanding exactly why Iowa’s coaches used him as they did, but it surely’s curious to say the least.

So far as what Van Ness did on the sphere, he’s purely an influence rusher, with little finesse to his recreation. And whereas that was typically efficient, Van Ness lacked solutions when blockers had been ready for his energy. He’s an athletic defender, notably for his dimension, and including a real pace counter would open up his recreation, even when he solely not often used it.

Van Ness is considerably stiff in comparison with different trendy edge gamers and doesn’t actually have the power to bend the sting like a 245 pound participant. He may also battle to vary instructions shortly in tight quarters, resulting in some poor angles when making an attempt to make a deal with. That may also restrict how he’s used, and groups might want to perceive his strengths and weaknesses when incorporating him into their schemes.

General Grade: 8.2

Projection

Lukas Van Ness initiatives as a beginning defensive lineman on the NFL stage with some scheme and positional versatility.

Van Ness will doubtless be at his finest as a down lineman in a 4-3 entrance, although he has the size and energy to be a 5-technique in a 3-man entrance, and the athleticism to be a stand-up rusher in a hybrid or a number of entrance. Regardless, groups will need Van Ness on the road of scrimmage and enjoying downhill as typically as doable. He was sometimes requested to drop into protection and didn’t look dangerous, although he shouldn’t be anticipated to maintain up with operating backs or tight ends in area.

Van Ness is a participant who is aware of who he’s, and doesn’t attempt to be the rest. He was nicknamed “Hercules” at Iowa, his play energy definitely lives as much as the moniker. That’s, nonetheless, one thing of a double-edged sword, and NFL tackles will have the ability to cope with a pure energy rusher who lacks a pace counter. Van Ness has the athleticism so as to add a pace factor to his recreation, and will search to take action – although he’ll all the time be a power-first participant.

Groups will clearly need to do their due diligence to search out out why Van Ness didn’t play greater than he did, and the reply might impression his ultimate grade. Primarily based purely on his on-field play, Van Ness is a high-floor, high-ceiling prospect who shouldn’t have to attend lengthy to listen to his identify referred to as.