Lukas Van Ness Scouting Report and NFL Draft Player Profile
Lukas Van Ness Scouting Report: Defensive End, Iowa Hawkeyes
2023 NFL Draft Measurements
Lukas Van Ness 40-Yard Dash Time – 4.80 (estimate)
6’5” / 269 lbs.
Lukas Van Ness Draft Profile
Lukas Van Ness is a former 3-star recruit out of Barrington High School in Barrington, Illinois. According to his 247sports recruiting profile, he was the 19th – best player in the state of Illinois. One of the players he was ranked behind is someone else I am very high on. That player was Northwestern offensive tackle Peter Skoronski. Van Ness was also the 51st – best strongside defensive end in the nation. While achieving this status, Lukas Van Ness received scholarship offers from Division I programs. Some of these schools were Illinois, Kansas State, Minnesota, and Iowa. After only visiting Illinois and Iowa, it became clear that he wanted to play for the Hawkeyes.
Lukas Van Ness did not record any stats as a true freshman and was redshirted. During his 2021 season as a redshirt freshman, he had 33 total tackles, 7 sacks, and one pass deflection. Considering this was his first season playing for the Hawkeyes, this is very good. After this season, Van Ness kept the momentum going into the 2022 season. In this past season, he had 36 total tackles and 6.5 sacks.
Strengths
Get Off
Lukas Van Ness is very good at getting upfield quickly, and that is primarily due to his explosiveness. When lined up in a 3-point stance, Van Ness does a good job of reacting quickly to the snap and exploding forward. At the point of attack, he keeps his hands high and inside on the opposing lineman’s breastplate. When lined up in a 2-point stance, Van Ness has a good blend of explosiveness and speed. This allows him to quickly run the arc and force the QB up in the pocket.
Pass Rush
Lukas Van Ness is one of the best pass rushers in the 2023 NFL Draft class. As I mentioned earlier, Van Ness is very explosive off the snap. This allows him to quickly gain leverage on the opposing offensive lineman. When engaging in contact, he makes sure to keep his hands high and on the inside. This allows him to use his elite strength to drive them back and move them to the side when needed.
What really stood out to me is his ability to keep his pad level low. In the trenches, the lowest man on the field wins. When watching his film, there were countless snaps where his pad level was the lowest in the trenches. Considering he is 6’5” and almost weighs 270 lbs., it is very fun to watch. By keeping his pad level low, he can use his power to drive the blocker into the backfield.
Another aspect of his pass rush that stood out to me was his high motor when bull rushing. At the point of attack, Van Ness shows that he is stronger, faster, and more violent than the lineman opposite of him. When you pair that with a high motor, he is almost impossible to neutralize.
Hand Usage
As I have mentioned several times already, Van Ness does a good job of using his hands to gain leverage. When rushing the passer, Van Ness often relies on his bull rush to get the job done. Once the ball is snapped, he is often the first one to engage in contact. When he reaches the point of attack, he puts his hands in the perfect position to drive the blocker upward. This forces them onto their heels, leading to them losing any leverage they had. On run plays, he does a good job of using his hands to move blockers to the side. This allows him to clog up run lanes if the ball comes his way.
Play Strength
Lukas Van Ness is one of the best bull rushers in the nation. This is primarily due to his combination of upper and lower body strength. His lower body strength allows him to explode forward off the snap and drive blockers back. To help prove my point, there were a few snaps against Ohio State where he overpowered Dawand Jones. This is impressive because Jones is 6’8” and weighs 359 lbs. If Van Ness can overpower him when he drops the anchor, he can overpower lots of linemen.
Weaknesses
Move Variety
When watching his film, I noticed that Van Ness does not have a wide variety of pass-rush moves. A majority of the time, he relies on his bull rush to get the job done. Although this usually does the trick, he will be too predictable in the NFL and will get countered easily. Outside of the bull rush, he does not have any other move that he consistently uses. If he can work on improving his swim, rip and spin moves, he will be unstoppable in the NFL.
Lateral Agility
Although Van Ness is an incredible athlete, I have concerns about his lateral agility and ability to maneuver through traffic. This hinders his ability to bring down the ball carrier when they run to the opposite side of the line. It also prevents him from being effective when performing stunts and twists. Although this isn’t a major concern, it is something he needs to work on before the combine in March.
Lukas Van Ness Draft Stock
Lukas Van Ness is one of my favorite prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft. That is why I have him ranked as the 2nd best defensive end behind Tyree Wilson. Van Ness may not be as polished as Tyree Wilson, and maybe even Myles Murphy, but I believe he has a higher ceiling. With that being said, he is a first-round lock in my opinion. Personally, I could see him getting drafted in the top 15 due to his high ceiling.
Final Thoughts on Lukas Van Ness Scouting Report
Van Ness may not be the most polished prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft, but he may have one of the highest ceilings. His pass rush ability is arguably the best in the nation even though he does not have a big move repertoire. Van Ness’ lower body strength allows him to explode off the snap and quickly gain leverage. When engaging in contact, he does a good job of keeping his hands high and tight. This allows him to drive back and move blockers, applying pressure on the QB. Although I have some concerns surrounding his lateral agility and move repertoire, they are not enough to move him down on my draft board. If Van Ness goes to the right team, he could be an All-Pro defensive lineman in a few years.
Lukas Van Ness Player Comparison
Lukas Van Ness is a spitting image of Cincinnati Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson. Personally, I believe that Van Ness is more polished than Hendrickson when he was in college.
Lukas Van Ness Scouting Report and Player Profile Analyst – Matthew Lewis
