Packers 2023 first-round pick Lukas Van Ness is nicknamed Hercules because of how he’s built. That brute strength was on display Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers.
San Francisco had a first-and-5 from its own 15-yard line early in the fourth quarter, trailing 24-10. Right guard Dominick Puni pulled to the left side of the line after the snap, but Van Ness beat him around the outside. Running back Christian McCaffrey tried to block Van Ness, but the second-year edge defender manhandled him en route to sacking quarterback Brandon Allen, who had slipped earlier in the play.
Not only that, but Van Ness also knocked the ball loose from Allen, and defensive tackle Kenny Clark recovered it. The Packers scored three plays later on running back Josh Jacobs’ third touchdown of the game to put the nail in the coffin against a depleted 49ers team.
Defensive end Rashan Gary took time to break out after the Packers drafted him with the No. 12 pick in 2019, and Van Ness, the No. 13 pick last year, didn’t exactly burst onto the scene, either. He still hasn’t — Van Ness has just four TFLs, two sacks and one forced fumble while playing about 40 percent of the defensive snaps this season — but perhaps his big play Sunday is a sign of things to come. An inconsistent Packers pass rush could certainly use the boost.
“I’ve been waiting for a big play like that, and I’ve kept my head down,” Van Ness said. “Even going back to that game, I think a lot of it is you gotta take your shot and be willing to go out there and make a difference. Couple plays before that, I was getting that counter pass, and I told myself if I got it again, I was gonna beat that guard and get there, and obviously, I did that. Definitely a very exciting (feeling), and it does give you that itch to want to get back on the field again.”
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