Lukas Van Ness came out of nowhere for a bunch of media analysts, myself included. He never started a game at Iowa and played in 940 career snaps in two years. Van Ness was nicknamed “Hercules” by his teammates at Iowa, Van Ness is a power rusher with a lot of upside to his game. If he can develop his finesse and the way that he attacks offensive linemen, he could be a generational pass rusher in the league. That’s a huge if. 

If a team takes Van Ness early, it’s betting on him hitting his upside. There’s a ton of it oozing from his film, and teams have to be excited about the player that he can be. If he can develop a plan and learn how to better use his hands, he’s going to be borderline unstoppable. 

There has some been chatter around #Iowa Edge Lukas Van Ness going in the 1st & I’m For it.

6’5 264lb – 7 sacks in 2022.
High motor/Power edge type

Lukas vs projected 1st rounders:
Paris Johnson & Peter Skoronski 👀

Straight up pancakes Skoronski!!!

pic.twitter.com/DikDRhELb8

— Jared Tokarz (@JaredNFLDraft) January 20, 2023

Van Ness has stayed injury free his entire football career. 

Lukas Van Ness’s scouting report

Athletic Ability (45)

Speed/Athleticism: 20 

• Speed (6.5/7) – Good speed, but very good quickness. Ran a 4.58 forty yard dash at the NFL Combine. Van Ness can move and track plays down all across the field. 
• Lateral Quickness (4.5/7) – Lateral quickness is good, not great. Feet look heavy when he’s trying to settle into a zone. 
• Body Control (3/6) – Body control is still very average at this point. Doesn’t have an arsenal of moves developed, instead wants to use his power to win at all times. 

Burst: 10 

• First Step Quickness (4/5) – First step looks great when he’s standing up. I’m not sure about his first step when he’s down in a three point stance. 
• Explosion (4/5) – Very solid explosion for a defensive end. Shows a lot of ability from an upright stance. 

Power/Strength: 15 

• Upper Body Strength (5/6) – Ridiculous upper body strength. Powerful arms and generates a lot of power with what he does. 
• Lower Body Strength (5.5/6) – Very well proportioned body and strength. Solid lower leg drive and ability. 
• Pure Brute Strength (3/3) – Absolute brute. That’s the elite part of his game is his power and what he is able to generate. 

Pass Rushing Mechanics (25)

Bend: 10 

• Balance (3/5) – Balance is average at best. Doesn’t really stand out in this area of his game. 
• Bend (2/5) – Very stiff athlete who doesn’t really show any bend. Struggles to dip under anything. 

Finesse: 15 

• Hand Usage (2.5/5) – Very limited hand usage. Doesn’t really try to rip or get off of blocks very much, seems content to hold the block and try to win a power battle. 
• Hand Strength (4.5/5) – Very strong hands and if he does land his hands in the right spot, he’s very difficult to stop or recover against. 
• Hand Placement (2/5) – Does not have good hand placement right now. Gets lucky sometimes but doesn’t appear to have any real coordination. 

Defender Ability (26) 

Tackling/Pursuit: 16

• Tackling Ability (4.5/6) – Missed 17% of his tackle opportunities. Does tend to wrap up and deliver a powerful blow. Sometimes struggled to bring players to the ground, probably because of his upright style. 
• Space Defending (3.5/5) – Very decent space defender abilities. Has a lot of huselt and has the athletic ability to chase plays. 
• Pursuit Angles (3/5) – Would like to see him read run better, Oftentimes will run right past the football. 

Motor/Consistency: 10 

• Motor (4.5/5) – Good motor throughout the play. Hustles and stays with it throughout the play, chasing it downfield if he has to. 
• Consistent Motor (4.5/5) – Very consistent on a play-to-play basis. Doesn’t take plays off. Always giving 110% effort. 

Overall: (82.5) – First Round