New York Giants Draft Prospect: Edge Lukas Van Ness

Yes, the Giants need more pass rush help. So what can Iowa's Lukas Van Ness offer?

Author:
Nick Falato
Publish date:
Feb 15, 2023 1:51 PM EST

In this story:

New York Giants

Iowa Hawkeyes

Lukas Van Ness, EDGE

Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 275 lbs.
Class: RS-Sophmore
School: Iowa
Age: 21 (7/6/01)

A former three-star recruit out of Barrington High School in Barrington, Illinois, where he was the 52nd-ranked strong-side defensive end and the 21st-ranked prospect out of Illinois. Van Ness weighed only 240 pounds when recruited during the 2020 cycle. He played two years of varsity football and three years of hockey in high school; he was All-State as a senior in high school. He declined offers from Illinois, Kansas, Kansas State, Western Michigan, and Memphis.

Notables

An inexperienced raw defensive end with a lot of tools. Van Ness redshirted the 2020 season and played 940 total defensive snaps before declaring for the 2023 NFL Draft as an RS-Sophmore. Played all across the defensive line during his two seasons at Iowa and was a special teams phenom who blocked two punts against Iowa State in 2022.

He ends his two-season run with the Hawkeyes with 70 total tackles, 19 for a loss, 18 STOPs, 13 sacks, 74 pressures, and one pass knocked down at the line of scrimmage. He was an academic All-Big Ten both years on campus, and he won the Team Hustle Award in 2022 while finishing second-team All-Big 10. Van Ness never started a game at Iowa.

Strengths

Looks the part--chiseled, long-limbed, frame can probably still add weight
Good overall athlete with quick feet, solid COD when moving forward on LOS
Excellent pad level for a player of his height - explosive into contact
Just a powerful player with excellent lower-leg drive and violence in his hands
Rolls power through his hips after locking out - precocious for a player this young
Good first-step quickness - maintains a low center of gravity, keeps hips low
Explodes low to high into contact with authority - good forward lean, hands in front, locks out
Quickly engages and fires his hands into contact - heavy hands carry pop
A power rusher who has flashed precise hand usage - way too inconsistent at the moment
Good bull-rusher, here are three of his more impressive reps employing that tactic:

Ohio State: Q1, 12:33 2nd & 6 against Parris Johnson
Michigan: Q2, 0:57, 1st & 17
Illinois: Q1, 9:13, 3rd & 9

Establishes long-arm, flashed ability to use other arm to shed

Does a good job keeping his chest clean

Low pad level allows him to set a firm edge against the run
Solid overall run defender - has the tools to be a very good one
Long tackle radius, physical bringing ball carriers down
Good overall play strength with room to grow
Versatile, aligned all over the defensive line in 2pt, 3 pt, and 4 pt stances
Can develop into a true asset in the twist game (penetrator/looper)
Can be a sub-package rusher on the inside
Collapses the pocket from the inside with length and power
Motor for days - competitor
Best football is ahead of him

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Weaknesses

Is stiff, rarely threatens the EDGE with bend
Lack of bend is a real concern
Wish his second and third step gained more steam up the pass-rushing arc
Has a bit of a bull-in-a-china-shop type of mentality
Pass rush plan is a work in progress
Needs to hone in on the craft of employing moves together - relies too much on power
Winning with power isn’t as sustainable in the NFL
Needs to develop counter moves/plans
Can improve play & block identification
Can improve anchoring ability against double teams (initially recognizing them will help with this)
Limited experience playing football
Never started a game at Iowa
Only played in 50+ snaps once in his career (2022, Illinois)

Summary

Lukas Van Ness is a high-floor player who will likely thrive as an EVEN front defensive end. He’s raw, and he has plenty of areas to improve. Still, his ability to maintain a low profile while maximizing his length to keep himself clean can allow him to successfully play the run and pass, especially when combined with his power and lower leg drive.

Limited experience can be viewed as a positive, meaning there’s more room for improvement and growth with different coaching tactics. I believe that to be true, but although Van Ness is raw, some of his limitations will likely not be fixed with experience. His inability to consistently win high side with bend is an issue that will lower his ceiling as a prospect.

Throughout his tape, he rarely threatens the edge with bend; he landed a solid rip move against Northwestern (Q3, 10:53, 3rd & 9), but getting up the arc and through the contact was a chore. He doesn’t bend well in his hips/knees, nor does he consistently plant on his ankle and lean through the contact to corner into the pocket.

The lack of bend hurts his profile. However, there’s still a lot to appreciate about Lukas Van Ness. The power can’t be ignored, he should develop into a sound run defender (especially once he understands how to see the field), and the guy doesn’t stop hustling. His initial step is very quick off the LOS as well, which could put blockers into a position to allow Van Ness to employ precise power moves once he develops a more consistent plan. He’s generating round-one buzz; I’m not quite there, but I think he’s a high-floor player with room for improvement, with whom a fan base will fall in love.

GRADE: 6.28