Green Bay Packers may have struck gold in the 2023 draft if what Lukas Van Ness showed during the team's offseason workout translates well into the NFL games.
Van Ness, drafted 13th overall by the Wisconsin-based team, left his coaches and veteran teammates feeling awed after their workout.
Defensive coordinator Joe Barry was among those who could not help but gush over the kid's potential.
"He has some versatility. Athletic enough that we can stand him up and play him on the edge, but then also, big and physical enough that we can move him up and down the line," Barry said.
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Other team members also praised Van Ness. Edge rushers Rashan Gary and Preston Smith called the outside linebacker a "hell of a player" who can help the team in many ways.
His position coach, Jason Rebrovich, also called him "cerebral" for his smart feels of the game, allowing him to do more things.
Why 'Hercules' according to GM Gutekunst
Van Ness previously played hockey before becoming an American football player for the Iowa Hawkeyes.
He started his gridiron career at 200 pounds and now weighs 272. Much like the history of Hercules, he worked himself out to become an unstoppable force in the field.
Packers drafted the 21-year-old for being able to play both tackle and end. General manager Brian Gutekunst said the player was picked with the future in mind.
"This will have some immediate help for sure, but it's really more of a long-term thought process," Gutekunst told reporters in April.
Right now, Van Ness is the last among the rookies to sign a contract but judging by the impression he left to coaches and teammates; it is only a matter of time before he gets his signature to a great deal.
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