- Saw action in nine contests with his first two career starts in 2025, recording 19 tackles (12 solo), three tackles for a loss, 1½ sacks, seven QB hits and 16 Next Gen Stat QB pressures (tied for No. 5 on the team).
- Played in all 17 contests in 2024 and was tied for No. 2 on the team with a career-high 27 QB pressures along with 30 tackles (20 solo), three sacks, six QB hits, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
- Appeared in all 17 games as a rookie in 2023, registering 32 tackles (24 solo), eight tackles for a loss (tied for No. 2 on the team), a pass defensed, four sacks, 14 QB pressures and 10 QB hits (No. 5 on the team).
- Was the first Packers rookie to post four-plus sacks and eight-plus tackles for a loss since LB Clay Matthews in 2009.
- Was one of six NFL rookies to register four-plus sacks, eight-plus tackles for a loss and 10-plus QB hits in 2023.
- Has appeared in all four postseason contests over his first three seasons, recording 12 tackles (six solo), a team-high two sacks, three QB hits and two tackles for a loss.
- Registered a sack in both his NFL regular-season and postseason debuts.
- Selected by the Packers in the first round (No. 13 overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft, a pick obtained from the N.Y. Jets as part of the QB Aaron Rodgers trade.
- Became the first defensive player from the University of Iowa to be selected by the Packers in the first round. Was the highest-drafted defensive player out of Iowa since DB Tom Knight was selected by the Arizona Cardinals with the No. 9 overall pick in 1997.
2025 SEASON: Played in nine games with two starts, posting 19 tackles (12 solo), 1½ sacks, three tackles for a loss, seven QB hits (tied for No. 4 on the team) and 16 QB pressures (tied for No. 5 on the team)...Missed Weeks 7-11 and 13-14 due to a foot injury and did not play in Week 18…Vs. Detroit (Sept. 7): Started and recorded four tackles (one solo), a half-sack, a tackle for a loss, a QB hit and two QB pressures. Teamed with DL Rashan Gary in the third quarter to bring QB Jared Goff down for a loss of 6 yards on third-and-6 to force a punt. Tracked down RB Jahmyr Gibbs on a pass to the right flat for a loss of 2 yards on a third-and-7 in the first quarter, forcing a punt. All four of his stops came within 3 yards of the line of scrimmage (1, -2, 3, -6)…Vs. Washington (Sept. 11): Posted three tackles (all solo), a tackle for a loss, a QB hit and a QB pressure. All three stops took place within 4 yards of the line of scrimmage (-1, 4, 1)…At Cleveland (Sept. 21): Recorded two tackles (one solo) and two QB hits and was No. 2 on the team with five QB pressures (tied career high). The plays he recorded a QB hit on resulted in an incompletion and an interception…Vs. Cincinnati (Oct. 12): Registered two tackles (one solo), a sack, a tackle for a loss, two QB hits (tied for the team lead) and three QB pressures (tied for No. 2 on the team) before leaving the game in the third quarter with a foot injury. With the ball at the Green Bay 4 with just over six minutes to play in the third quarter, beat the left tackle to the outside edge and sacked QB Joe Flacco for a 6-yard loss…Vs. Baltimore (Dec. 27): Posted career highs in tackles (six) and solo tackles (four) while adding a QB hit and two QB pressures. Both pressures came on third downs inside the Green Bay 20 and resulted in incompletions. All six tackles were within 4 yards of the line of scrimmage (0, 0, 3, 2, 2, 4), with four of them coming on RB Derrick Henry…At Chicago (NFC Wild Card, Jan. 10): Registered three tackles (one solo), a sack, a tackle for a loss, two QB hits, two QB pressures and a forced fumble. On a third-and-10 at the Green Bay 24 early in the fourth quarter, stunted outside and beat the tackle to record a sack/forced fumble on QB Caleb Williams that the Bears recovered at the Green Bay 33.
2024: Played in all 17 contests, recording 30 tackles (20 solo), three sacks, six QB hits, six tackles for a loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery…Was tied for No. 2 on the team with a career-high 27 QB pressures…Added three tackles on special teams...Vs. Indianapolis (Sept. 15): Posted a tackle (solo), a tackle for a loss and a QB pressure. With just over six minutes to play in the third quarter, worked down the line to drop RB Jonathan Taylor for a 3-yard loss on second-and-5...At Tennessee (Sept. 22): Recorded a tackle (solo), a tackle for a loss, a QB hit and a sack, and recovered a fumble on a sack by DL Kingsley Enagbare to give the Packers the ball at their own 47-yard line late in the third quarter. Sacked QB Will Levis for a loss of 4 yards on a third-and-3 to force a punt in the second quarter...At L.A. Rams (Oct. 6): Registered a season-high five tackles (three solo), with three of his stops going for 2-yard gains...Vs. San Francisco (Nov. 24): Finished with a tackle (solo), a sack and two QB pressures, forcing a fumble early in the fourth quarter on his sack of QB Brandon Allen that was recovered by DL Kenny Clark at the San Francisco 16...Vs. Miami (Nov. 28): Posted two tackles (both solo), a sack, a QB hit, two tackles for a loss and four QB pressures on 22 defensive snaps. Worked his way back inside and sacked QB Tua Tagovailoa for a loss of 2 yards with just over four minutes to play in the second quarter…Vs. New Orleans (Dec. 23): Recorded a tackle (solo), a QB hit and a career-high five QB pressures…At Philadelphia (NFC Wild Card, Jan. 12): Played on 31 defensive snaps and finished with four tackles (one solo).
2023: Appeared in all 17 games, recording 32 tackles (24 solo), eight tackles for a loss (tied for No. 2 on the team), a pass defensed, four sacks, 10 QB hits (No. 5 on the team) and 14 QB pressures…Appeared in both postseason contests, posting five tackles (four solo), a sack, a tackle for a loss and a QB hit…At Chicago (Sept. 10): Posted two tackles (both solo) and a sack in his NFL debut along with a season-high three QB pressures. Recorded his first career sack when he brought down QB Justin Fields for a loss of 7 yards to force a third-and-long and help hold Chicago to a field goal…Vs. L.A. Rams (Nov. 5): Registered two tackles (both solo), a tackle for a loss and a QB hit. Made back-to-back tackles, stopping RB Darrell Henderson for a loss of 5 yards on first down and tackling Henderson again to force third-and-long for the Rams…At Pittsburgh (Nov. 12): Recorded three tackles (two solo) and a tackle for a loss, stopping RB Jaylen Warren for a loss of a yard on the first play of the second quarter…At Detroit (Nov. 23): Posted three tackles (all solo), a tackle for a loss and two QB hits. Forced Goff to throw the ball away as he was called for intentional grounding in the second quarter. In the fourth quarter, stopped TE Sam LaPorta for a loss of 2 yards on a first-down reception…Vs. Kansas City (Dec. 3): Registered two tackles (both solo), a sack and two QB hits. Brought down QB Patrick Mahomes for a loss of 9 yards on first down to help hold the Chiefs to a FG on that drive…Vs. Tampa Bay (Dec. 17): Recorded four tackles (three solo) and a sack, bringing down QB Baker Mayfield for a loss of 9 yards on a first-down play in the second quarter that helped limit Tampa Bay to a FG…Vs. Chicago (Jan. 7): Posted two tackles (both solo) and a sack, tackling Fields for a loss of 6 yards on a first-down play on Chicago's first drive of the game…At Dallas (NFC Wild Card, Jan. 14): Recorded three tackles (two solo) and a sack in his NFL playoff debut, bringing down QB Dak Prescott for a loss of 5 yards on a second-down play in the fourth quarter...2023 Draft: Selected by the Packers in the first round (No. 13 overall).
COLLEGE: Appeared in 27 games on the defensive line during his two seasons with the Hawkeyes (2021-22), recording 71 tackles (34 solo), 19½ tackles for a loss, 13½ sacks, seven QB hits and a pass defensed...Majored in finance…2022: Appeared in all 13 games, playing both end and tackle and posting 38 tackles (17 solo), a team-high 11 tackles for a loss, 6½ sacks (tied for team lead) and four QB hits…Earned second-team All-Big Ten honors from the league's coaches and media as well as The Associated Press and Phil Steele…Was part of an Iowa defense that ranked No. 2 in the country in points allowed (13.3 ppg), No. 6 in passing defense (169.5 ypg) and No. 12 in rushing defense (101.3 ypg)…Helped the Hawkeyes limit their opponents to 10 points or less in nine of 13 games on the season, the most in the country in 2022…Tied the single-game school record with two blocked punts vs. Iowa State (Sept. 10), earning Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week recognition for his performance…Blocked a Tyler Perkins punt on the Cyclones' opening drive of the game, giving the Hawkeyes the ball at the Iowa State 16 to set up a TD three plays later and then blocked another Perkins punt midway through the third quarter to give the Hawkeyes the ball at the Iowa State 20…Added two tackles (one solo), including a stop of RB Jirehl Brock for a 1-yard loss on a third-quarter run…Registered three tackles (two solo), including a 2-yard sack of QB Evan Simon in the third quarter at Rutgers (Sept. 24)…Also pressured Simon on a first-quarter pass that was picked off by DB Cooper DeJean and returned 45 yards for a TD…2021: Played in all 14 games as a redshirt freshman, earning Freshman All-America recognition from the Football Writers Association of America and the Maxwell Football Club after finishing with 33 tackles (17 solo), 8½ tackles for a loss, seven sacks and three QB hits…Was tied for the team lead in sacks and led the Hawkeyes in tackles for a loss…Racked up six tackles (five solo) and a sack at Nebraska (Nov. 26), bringing down QB Logan Smothers for a 6-yard loss in the Nebraska end zone for a fourth-quarter safety to cut the Cornhuskers' lead to 21-18 as the Hawkeyes rallied for the 28-21 win…Posted four tackles (two solo) and a sack, bringing down QB Will Levis for a 7-yard loss in the fourth quarter vs. Kentucky (Citrus Bowl, Jan. 1).
PERSONAL: Given name Lukas Reed Van Ness…Born in Elgin, Ill. …High school: Earned first-team all-state honors from the Champaign News Gazette as a senior in 2019 at Barrington (Ill.) High School after posting 67 tackles, eight tackles for a loss, five sacks, 17 QB pressures, a forced fumble and a blocked punt…Was named the Mid-Suburban League Defensive Player of the Year as a senior, helping his team to the state playoffs as a junior and senior…Earned first-team all-conference honors as a senior and all-area recognition from the Daily Herald and Pioneer Press…Also lettered three times in hockey…Community involvement: Took part in My Cause My Cleats, highlighting Tunnel to Towers, a foundation that provides mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen-first-responder families with young children and builds specially-adapted smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders…Engaged with the families of fallen military members at a Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (T.A.P.S.) event…Participated in the annual Packers Tailgate Tour in April 2025, traveling throughout Wisconsin to visit fans and raise money for local organizations…Painted and assembled a flag with the families of fallen military members in October 2024…Took part in Huddle for Heroes, a military-appreciation event that involved a Q&A session, writing letters to active-duty military members and mingling with veterans through interactive sports games...Nominated by the Packers for the NFL Salute to Service Award in 2024 for his continued commitment to honoring the military and veterans…Has supported the Luke Harrod Hutson Foundation, named after a childhood friend of his, which was founded to provide annual athletic, educational and mission-trip scholarships to support local area athletes and teens in Barrington, Ill. …Visited children's hospitals while he was in college.
