The Green Bay Packers will need significantly improved performance from several parts of their roster in 2025 if they want to be serious contenders and put an end to the early playoff exits that have characterized the Jordan Love era so far.
One of the most critical areas is the pass rush, where third-year edge rusher and former first-round pick Lukas Van Ness faces a pivotal season in his NFL development.
In a May 29 ranking of all 32 NFL rosters, Pro Football Focus analysts Max Chadwick and Dalton Wasserman identified each team’s top weakness from 2024 and their X-factor for 2025. For the Packers, they pointed to the defensive line as the team’s biggest liability last season and highlighted Van Ness as the key player to watch moving forward.
“Improving along the defensive front is essential, and Lukas Van Ness needs to lead that charge,” they wrote. “His 2024 PFF grade of 52.9 placed him far outside the top 100 edge defenders. Across his first two seasons, he’s recorded only 42 pressures and an underwhelming 8.9% pass-rush win rate. If he fails to show progress in 2025, the Packers may be forced to explore other options on the defensive line next offseason.”
Lukas Van Ness Facing Critical NFL Campaign in Third Season
When the PFF writers referred to the Packers “searching for other options,” it didn’t necessarily mean that Lukas Van Ness would be on his way out of Green Bay if he doesn’t live up to his status as the 13th overall pick in the 2023 draft out of Iowa.
Still, it would likely lead to a reduced role and could significantly affect both his future with the team and his long-term earning potential in the NFL.
Van Ness is heading into the third year of his four-year rookie deal, valued at $17.4 million. As a first-round selection, the Packers will need to decide next offseason whether to pick up his fifth-year option for the 2027 season, which would come with a sizable salary.
If Green Bay opts not to exercise that option, Van Ness would become a free agent a year earlier. Such a decision would also signal that the organization lacks confidence in him, which could reduce his playing time in 2026. That limited opportunity would likely hurt his chances of securing a strong second contract—either with the Packers or another team.
Packers Focused on Adding Help for QB Jordan Love in 2025 NFL Draft
In the 2025 draft, the Packers prioritized offense over defense, selecting two wide receivers and an offensive tackle in the first three rounds. This suggests a desire to strengthen the pass game for quarterback Aaron Love, who faced criticism for his performance in 2024 compared to the previous season. Former backup quarterback Kurt Benkert disputed these concerns on Monday, June 2.
“Jordan Love was a top-five quarterback in a number of crucial statistics that reflect his performance. Most conventional statistics just track the outcome of play,” Benkert wrote on X. “The number of passes dropped had a significant impact on public opinion that had previously been overlooked. Turn on the film; Jordan had a ball last year.”