Every player has their good and bad days at practice. With that in mind, it’s important to not overreact to either one but focus on what kind of consistency players are putting together at training camp. In the case of the Green Bay Packers, though, the team has a lot riding on edge rusher Lukas Van Ness this season.
So, it’s going to be difficult to not overreact to anything involving Van Ness leading up to the 2026 campaign.
On Monday, SI on Packers’ Bill Huber offered a negative update on Van Ness from training camp. Huber called the edge rusher one of the team’s “losers” from the first day of fully-padded practice at camp.
“Lukas Van Ness had a superb series of offseason practices and a strong start to training camp,” wrote Huber. “He didn’t do much to distinguish himself on Monday, though.
“It’s just one day, obviously, but it’s at least a little noteworthy because of his limited production in his career and his enormous importance on the roster.”
Huber included in his analysis why we shouldn’t overreact. But he also explained why even one poor day from Van Ness is potentially alarming.
The Packers need Van Ness to finally play like a first-round pick, which simply hasn’t happened in three years.
Lukas Van Ness Has 1st Subpar Training Camp Practice
GettySI on Packers’ Bill Huber called edge rusher Lukas Van Ness a loser from the team’s first full-pads practice of training camp.
Van Ness would be a player to watch regardless of anyone else in the Packers organization. Green Bay exercised the edge rusher’s fifth-year option this offseason, so he won’t be a free agent next March. Even still, Van Ness producing more is a key storyline this summer.
It’s even more so with the loss of Micah Parsons for the first part of 2026.
The Packers plan to follow the nine-month rule with Parsons returning from his major knee surgery. That means he won’t get even on the practice field until late September.
More than likely, Parsons is targeting a mid-October return. Van Ness and company need to hold down the fort for roughly the first six games.
Van Ness is trying to bounce back from his own 2025 injury issues. He missed seven of the final eight regular season games because of a foot issue.
In nine contests, Van Ness registered 19 combined tackles, including three for loss. He also had seven quarterback hits and 1.5 sacks. During 2024, he had three sacks, six tackles for loss and six quarterback hits over 17 games.
Packers Edge Depth at 2026 NFL Training Camp
GettyEdge rusher Lukas Van Ness enters the 2026 NFL season as a Green Bay Packers starting edge rusher.
Van Ness has started two games in his NFL career, both of which came last season. Unless something unusual happens before Week 1, he will enter this campaign as a starter.
That was likely to happen even without Parsons’ injury. That’s because the Packers traded Rashan Gary to the Dallas Cowboys during the offseason.
But with Parsons out, Van Ness will probably start with Barryn Sorrell. Fellow edge rushers Brenton Cox Jr. and Dani Dennis-Sutton could play significant roles too.
The good news from Monday was Huber called Dennis-Sutton, who is a fourth-round rookie, one of his winners from this week’s first practice.
“There is absolutely no doubt who the most impactful edge player was on Monday,” wrote Huber. “It was Dani Dennis-Sutton, the fourth-round pick who had three tackles for losses on running plays and a pressure of Tyrod Taylor in 2-minute.”
Collin Oliver is another edge rusher as well who could contribute for the Packers with Parsons sidelined.
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