At this point, it’s painfully clear how the Green Bay Packers approach of the first round of any draft.
It pretty much boils down to three things: They’re going to take an athlete, it needs to be at a premium position, and it’s not going to be a wide receiver.
Granted, the last part is more tongue-in-cheek, but there is a sense of truth behind it. Regardless, the first two ideologies are certainly characteristics of the Packers’ first-round draft approach and those ideologies were put in play, again, with the selection of EDGE Lukas Van Ness at 13 overall.
Van Ness is an elite athlete and immediately bolsters the Packers’ pass rush, but he also acts as a safety net for Joe Barry’s defense in case star pass-rusher Rashan Gary isn’t ready to go when the season starts, or later.
A lot of people were thinking that was a big reason for the Van Ness selection and a lot of people thought it was going to be a big factor in potentially taking a pass-rusher in Round 1, regardless of the player.
But Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst quickly shut that narrative down Thursday night.
“It’s helpful, but it really didn’t drive the decision, at all,” Brian Gutekunst told reporters. “As you guys know, especially in the draft, we look more long-term than immediately. This will provide some immediate help, for sure, but it was really more of a long-term thought process.”
Van Ness is more likely to be a replacement for Preston Smith than he is a safety net for Gary
Smith had a solid year in 2022, but he’s entering the backend of his career and he’s an expensive player. The Packers should re-sign Gary, as long as he recovers from his ACL injury, to a massive contract and they won’t be able to afford both players.
Enter Van Ness, who is on a cheap rookie contract for the next four, possibly five, seasons.
The Packers have a potential out after 2023 when it comes to Smith’s contract. He’ll turn 32-years-old midway through the 2024 season, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if Van Ness forces him out with a solid rookie campaign.
But, for now, the Packers have what should be three quality pass rushers once Gary returns, on top of two good pass rushing d-linemen in two-time Pro Bowler Kenny Clark and 2022 first-rounder Devonte Wyatt.
In all, things are looking up.
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