Physical Profile
At 6’5, 270, and chiseled to the teeth, Van Ness earned the nickname “Hercules” from his Iowa teammates. His physicals are as good as they get from a draft prospect, with a cumulative RAS(relative athletic score) of 9.38 out of 10. Unbelievably speedy and shifty at the stature with a 4.58-40 time and a 7-second 3-cone drill (better 10-yard split and 3 cone drill than Vikings 1st round pick Jordan Addison). He’s the only documented pass rusher after 2000 to have been 270lb+, run a 4.58+, 3-cone 7.02+, and have a broad jump of 118’+. He also has 11-inch hands which come in wildly ‘handy’ for the position. One word to describe his physical nature, specimen.Mentality
Lukas Van Ness has the competitive gene that trends towards insanity and for an NFL player, particularly an edge rusher, that is dangerous in the best way. Hercules helped grow this insanity with hockey, where he wasn’t exactly the most talented but he had a knack for getting penalties, leading the league in penalty minutes in high school. He does not give up on plays, he runs and works through every situation with intensity.Strengths
Versatility is an understatement, he can be a standard edge rusher, over center, a three-technique lineman, or outside linebacker on either side, only thing he can’t do is play nose tackle. He has massive speed-to-power bull rush success. His super long arms supply him with a great long-arm maneuver as well. He has a natural knack for leverage and competent pad height comes into play every snap. The push-pull is very natural and successful for him as well. He is simply huge and strong. Van Ness can throw around 300+ pound linemen unquestionably, an offensive lineman is not allowed to make a misstep or mistake against him because that will grant him everything he needs to take advantage because he is simply too strong and too fast. He has 4-down ability as he’s blocked two punts and has earned a few different special teams player honors. He takes pride in run stoppage and shows excellent awareness and ability in that department. Van Ness knows how to leverage his balance and long arms to hold a run gap and fight across his man to find the ball, covering two gaps.Weaknesses
He does not have a list of pass-rush moves and lacks a consistent cadence or move stack, often causing a stalemate or indecisive shuffle following his initial attack. There are not many tapes for him regarding dropping back into coverage as he was not asked to do it often, although his athletic capability is there. He does not have young roots in football, only starting in high school and splitting focus with hockey the first two years. He has shown the capability to beat double teams, but not necessarily consistently. He is unrefined and improper in much of his technique, but nothing stands out as unteachable.Not a Starter?
Many people have found the fact he was not a starter at Iowa to be a red flag, in reality, it is a useless talking point. Iowa has a culture that picks starters by seniority, but the 21-year-old redshirt sophomore was involved on any key plays or moments and then some for the Hawkeyes. When comparing snap counts with players taken at a similar point it helps fully contextualize, he played over 100 more snaps than Nolan Smith and only 80 less than Will Mcdonald over the last two seasons (both 2023 1st-round picks).Floor/Ceiling
For a first-round pick, the floor is typically starter capable, for Van Ness, it’s hard not to see him as a long-term solid piece. Expect him to start Day 1 until Rashan Gary can get to full health. The ceiling really doesn’t exist for Van Ness, if he can harness his gene-given potential he can be elite, all-pro, etc. He can be with the likes of the Bosa’s and Watt’s. The Hall of Fame comparison that comes to mind is Vikings legend, Jarred Allen.Fun Facts:
- Even if his RAS score was being judged as a safety or running back it would be higher than Brian Branch and Jahmyr Gibbs respectively.
- He grew up a Bears fan
- His girlfriend is Bears TE Cole Kmet’s sister
