Lukas Van Ness DL/EDGE Iowa | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Lukas Van Ness DL/EDGE Iowa
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| SUB-POSITION: NT/DT | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 04/01/2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 time: 4.58 seconds (96%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 23.4 DOB: 07/06/2001 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| SUB-POSITION: NT/DT | |
| Last Updated: 04/01/2023 | |
| Draft Year: 2023 | |
| 40 time: 4.58 seconds (96%*) | |
| Age: 23.4 DOB: 07/06/2001 | |
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| Overall Rating: | 87.6 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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80% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Tackling: |
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60% |
| Pass Rush: |
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80% |
| Run Defense: |
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81% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
1st - Late
Overall Rank:
#25
Position rank:
#5
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| College Games: 26 College Snaps: 920 | ||
ESPN RATING: 74/100
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247 RATING: 85/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.6 (92%)
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Drafted: ROUND: 1 - Pick Number: 13 (GB)
Draft Profile: Bio
Lukas Van Ness from Barrington High School was rated a 3-star recruit by ESPN and handed a 3-star grade by 247 Sports. After high school, Van Ness who at the time weighed just 240lbs joined Iowa after turning down offers from Illinois, Kansas, Kansas State, Western Michigan, and Memphis.In 2021 as a freshman Van Ness saw action in 14 games and played a total of 462 snaps for the Hawkeyes. He recorded 18 tackles, 7 assists, while adding 14 stops. As a pass rusher, he added 28 total pressures, which included 14 QB hurries, 10 QB hits, and 4 sacks on the season.
As a sophomore for the Hawkeyes in 2022 Van Ness played in 12 games and took part in 458 snaps for the Hawkeyes. He recorded 15 tackles, 11 assists, while adding 18 stops. As a pass rusher, he chalked up 43 total pressures, and 29 QB hurries, 6 QB hits, and an impressive 8 sacks during the year.
Honors & awards
- 2022 Academic All-Big Ten for the second year a row
- 2022 - second-team All-Big Ten by league coaches and media, Associated Press and Phil Steele
- 2021 Freshman All-America by Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and Maxwell Football Club
- High School - Named MSL Conference Defensive Player of the Year and first-team all-conference as a senior
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Very athletic player who is nicknamed “Hercules” by teammates. Looks like he was carved out of stone standing 6-5 and weighing in at 275lbs
- He’s flexible enough to bend the edge, and he’s at his best when Van Ness can use his quickness and change-of-direction abilities to counter back inside.
- Plays with leverage at the point of attack whether inside or outside. Keeps eyes in the backfield when inside; moves linemen to either side with strong hands.
- High level of functional strength and an elite ability to convert speed to power
- His spin move is already NFL-caliber, and he displays a very good motor
- Gets very good leverage and has exceptional lower leg strength
- He’s very instinctive when it comes to countering and solid with overall hand usage
- Has very powerful hands - gets under blocker's pads and easily drives them backward
- As a pass rusher, he shows quickness off the line and has the fluid athleticism and flexibility to bend the edge.
- Combines excellent power with initial quickness, but one of his best attributes are his violent hands, which he uses with impressive precision
- Long arms with an elite tackle radius along with an always-on motor
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Plays too tall, and doesn't have the elite speed to easily beat top-level tackles on the edge
- Doesn't anchor consistently and can not be knocked of balance
- He’s susceptible to cut blocks, a tactic that was used on him often
- Has limited experience - has played just two years of college football
- Struggles recognizing blocking schemes
- Has been able to dominate a college with power - this won't be possible at the next level where he'll need a greater set of rushing tools
- Van Ness doesn’t show much in the way of dynamic change-of-direction ability on counter moves, and also has a limited repertoire of pass-rushing moves
Scouting Report: Summary
Lukas Van Ness is a good pro prospect, with ideal size and elite power for the position. In his final year at Iowa, he played at an elite level as he logged 9 sacks and huge 31 total hurries on the edge. He however is a little raw and while having outstanding power is inexperienced and only has a limited array of pass-rushing moves and so may struggle to adapt to the pro game.Van Ness may be over-drafted due to his power and production, although currently, we regard him as a day-two selection in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Lukas Van Ness percentiles vs other Defensive Lines (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
Lukas Van Ness Video Review
How other scouting services rate Lukas Van Ness (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
22.5
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
9.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.