2023 Round 1 Pick #13:Lukas Van Ness Edge

[Voyageur]

They say it takes 11 months to recover from an injury like Gary had. The very earliest is 9 months starting to regain strength. That doesn't include the time after that, to gain full strength and mobility. It's been 13 months since it happened. He's still rounding in to shape, and anything we've seen out of him to date, is pure gravy. A credit to his working hard to recover.

I'll be damned if I'll throw him under the bus for recovery from an injury. I think this is one of the things that's bothered some Packer players, like Quay Walker. It's not unique to the Packers, but fans are impatient. They think these guys are ready to go full bore just because they get back on the field. They aren't ready, but they do their best, to help their team, as they can.

I want to see Gary out there against the 49ers. He's good at his position. I worry about a lot of other spots a hell of a lot more than I do the spot Gary is in.

I'm not knocking what a lot of people believe, but I know what it takes to recover from a blown out knee. I went through it, helping my Son, who was a college football player, to do the things he had to do to be able to hit the field again. It's one hell of a hard road to travel, and his tears fighting through the pain, and doubts are something you'd never understand unless you're there.

Then there's the risk, just like my Son went through, that it could happen again. In my Son's case, it did. He's looked back on it and wonders if he should have sat out the entire following year to regain the strength. It's what it is, in football.

 

[tynimiller]

If that was the case, are you saying a defense that gets 5 sacks during a game, all on blitzes, is far better than a defense that only got 1 sack, but was collapsing the pocket all day and forced 2 interceptions as a result.

I agree with @tynimiller, there is so much more that goes into it than just 1 stat (sacks) and if all you are going to look at are the sacks that a player or teams gets, you might be missing some important information.

I’d not waste time, sand is in his eyes and nothing with change it.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

The discussion is how to rate pass rushers like highly paid OLBers. I agree that teams try to make up for deficiencies in their pass rushers by blitzing more. They may get more sacks but expose themselves to big plays. Great pass rushers prevent that trade off. Remember "no blitz" Fritz. Shermer didn't need to blitz much because he had Reggie, Shaun Jones and Dotson up front.

The name of the player alludes me, but I remember one season we had a player that put up a really gaudy sack number. As a result, if my memory is correct, either the Packers or another team (free agency) game him way too much money. Following that season, he turned back into his old JAG self. Maybe Nick Perry?

 

[tynimiller]

The name of the player alludes me, but I remember one season we had a player that put up a really gaudy sack number. As a result, if my memory is correct, either the Packers or another team (free agency) game him way too much money. Following that season, he turned back into his old JAG self. Maybe Nick Perry?

Fackrell.

 

[OldSchool101]

Fackrell.

I swear I was just thinking about him earlier today (due to discussions of OLB depth) Kyler has that 1 season where he has double digits and exceeded expectation of what a 3rd Rounder? Then he gets a contract and disappeared.

 

[tynimiller]

I swear I was just thinking about him earlier today (due to discussions of OLB depth) Kyler has that 1 season where he has double digits and exceeded expectation of what a 3rd Rounder? Then he gets a contract and disappeared.

He actually stayed one more year but that was the year we brought both smiths here and drafted Gary

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Fackrell.

BINGO! Thank you, that was the guy!

He had 10.5 sacks in 2018, while only amassing a total of 5 in his 2 previous seasons. He only last 3 years in the NFL after the 2018 season, collecting a total of 8 sacks in those 3 years (with Packers/Giants/Chargers.

Although, I think I mixed him with Perry when it comes to a big Contract. Since the year Fackrell had 10.5 sacks, he was in the 3rd year of his rookie deal. His final year on that deal, was his final year in GB and they let him walk in free agency, after a 1 sack season.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I swear I was just thinking about him earlier today (due to discussions of OLB depth) Kyler has that 1 season where he has double digits and exceeded expectation of what a 3rd Rounder? Then he gets a contract and disappeared.

See my reply above. Wasn't Fackrell that got the big contract, I think that was Nick Perry.

 

[OldSchool101]

See my reply above. Wasn't Fackrell that got the big contract, I think that was Nick Perry.

Oh yeah.
I was also thinking about Kampman, but his big contract was 2006-2009 and he played great for the 06-07’ seasons, good ‘08 season and the faded away into nonethingness.

 

[Poppa San]

Oh yeah.
I was also thinking about Kampman, but his big contract was 2006-2009 and he played great for the 06-07’ seasons, good ‘08 season and the faded away into nonethingness.

Kampman was a 4-3 end that couldn't transition to 3-4 edge. I didn't follow him after he left.

 

[Half Empty]

Kampman was a 4-3 end that couldn't transition to 3-4 edge. I didn't follow him after he left.

A decent year with JAX and a nothing year with them, then done

 

[Heyjoe4]

The discussion is how to rate pass rushers like highly paid OLBers. I agree that teams try to make up for deficiencies in their pass rushers by blitzing more. They may get more sacks but expose themselves to big plays. Great pass rushers prevent that trade off. Remember "no blitz" Fritz. Shermer didn't need to blitz much because he had Reggie, Shaun Jones and Dotson up front.

Good memory. And the guys you mention on D were good enough to get to the QB w/o blitzing. I think they used 4 and 5 man fronts for the most part.

 

[gopkrs]

With Enagbare out; I expect to see more of VanNess today. And I'm expecting him to play well. But he will need to contain when the RB is in a position to get outside. And watch out for reverses to Samuel.

 

[Poppa San]

With Enagbare out; I expect to see more of VanNess today. And I'm expecting him to play well. But he will need to contain when the RB is in a position to get outside. And watch out for reverses to Samuel.

I've seen LVN take most of his playing style from Preston and not Gary. Does a decent job of setting the edge. Physical maturity is his only knock I see at doing so.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I've seen LVN take most of his playing style from Preston and not Gary. Does a decent job of setting the edge. Physical maturity is his only knock I see at doing so.

That and he needs a better and more unique after the sack celebration.

 

[tynimiller]

I've seen LVN take most of his playing style from Preston and not Gary. Does a decent job of setting the edge. Physical maturity is his only knock I see at doing so.

Yup which I’ve appreciated

 

[tynimiller]

That and he needs a better and more unique after the sack celebration.

Hush! Us bowhunters love it!

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Hush! Us bowhunters love it!

I was trying to find a montage of all the players that have done the "bow and arrow" routine. What was more surprising was this!

You must be logged in to see this image or video!

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

OK.....now I am perplexed, I assumed they changed the rule and now allow the Bow and arrow thing? Then I found this relatively recent article. Look at rule #24.

All the rules you probably didn't know NFL players have to follow

Your favorite touchdown celebration might have been banned.

www.wbaltv.com

 

[shockerx]

Andy Herman year end grade on LVN was in the bottom 5 for the defense. What do our experts here think? He's gonna need a second year big jump for sure-how worried should we be...yellow caution or red bliking light.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Andy Herman year end grade on LVN was in the bottom 5 for the defense. What do our experts here think? He's gonna need a second year big jump for sure-how worried should we be...yellow caution or red bliking light.

LVN was a rookie. Gary was probably in Andy Herman's bottom 5 his rookie season too. Give it time before you start hitting panic buttons and flashing lights.

 

[tynimiller]

Andy Herman year end grade on LVN was in the bottom 5 for the defense. What do our experts here think? He's gonna need a second year big jump for sure-how worried should we be...yellow caution or red bliking light.

So I like Andy, but he sometimes has some really head scratching takes IMO.

First let's look outside his opinion or mine...PFF grading shows LVN as the 14th graded defender on the Packers team this season.

Now to be fair let's get rid of guys that barely played much...lets say 200 snap minimum. You do that the list goes:

Gary
Savage
Douglas
Jaire
P Smith
Clark
Ford
Brooks
Campbell
Enagbare
LVN
SLaton
Nixon
Ballentine
Walker
Wyatt
Owens
Wooden
Valentine
McDuffie
Johnson Jr.

Yes according to PFF he had a better overall rookie year than Gary, but Gary saw a fraction of the snaps (256) vs LVN's (444) as well.

LVN graded better overall, tackling, pass rush, coverage than Gary did his rookie year. Gary only beat LVN rookie vs rookie on run defense shockingly which many say is a weakness of his.


I think Andy is merely letting again LVN's first round status, and a fairly high first round pick control his filter on LVN a touch. However LVN does need to grow, and that young man for sure in many phases was towards the end of the year. I'm excited to see his growth.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

However LVN does need to grow, and that young man for sure in many phases was towards the end of the year. I'm excited to see his growth.

That sums it up nicely.

Fans expectations of a rookie, especially those drafted in the first round, are usually set way too high at the beginning. LVN most definitely got better as the season progressed. Even better, he suited up for every game and didn't suffer any major injuries. Nothing worse than the setback of a major injury during a rookie year.