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A heavy, restless summer hangs over Green Bay as the Packers report to training camp. Three years removed from the end of the Aaron Rodgers era, the team is chasing clarity and championships amid a blizzard of expectations and doubts. Optimism and anxiety jostle for space at Lambeau. Fans remember a stirring playoff run from a season ago, but also the bitter taste of regression and an infamous divisional record. This year, every rep and every snap feels weightier, with jobs hanging in the balance. Training camp is less an audition and more a tension-laden reckoning for several Packers. In particular, one guy faces a crucible like no other.
The Packers’ offseason was, in our estimation, underwhelming. Sure, Nate Hobbs and Aaron Banks were intriguing free-agent additions. However, the team arguably overpaid for their services. First-round receiver Matthew Golden was a strong pick. That said, the overall success of their draft class hinges heavily on the development of tackle Anthony Belton and receiver Savion Williams. This felt like an offseason prioritizing long-term vision. That may not translate to significant immediate improvement in 2025 beyond Golden’s contributions.
Green Bay’s approach to free agency was cautious, yet still featured some positional overpays. Meanwhile, the draft clearly focused on future potential over plugging immediate holes. As NFC North rivals like the Lions and Vikings aggressively bolstered their rosters, the Packers appear to be banking heavily on internal growth and development. This strategy carries inherent risks, especially with General Manager Brian Gutekunst stressing a “sense of urgency” to compete. With Jordan Love entering his third year, the pressure is mounting for the team to convert stability into championship contention. The window for this current core is open. Without substantial progress this season, though, it could quickly close.
Here we’ll try to look at the Green Bay Packers player who is under the most pressure as they enter the 2025 NFL season.
Every NFL roster offers stories of promise, adversity, and unmet potential. Yet no story on the Packers’ sideline is more compelling than that of Lukas Van Ness.
Selected 13th overall, Van Ness was always described as “raw but rare.” His rookie flashes were enough to justify the “developmental” label, but 2024 did not bring the anticipated sophomore leap. Instead, it was a campaign dogged by a hand injury. That diminished both his efficiency and his confidence. Even as Preston Smith, the experienced edge rusher ahead of him, departed, Van Ness couldn’t cement his status. He logged fewer snaps than Kingsley Enagbare and was ultimately less impactful than Brenton Cox. He was the undrafted upstart who did more with less on the field.
Van Ness finished 2024 with a 53.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. That’s a result that falls short of both fan and front office expectations. His 20 total pressures over 427 snaps symbolized not a breakout but a question mark. Through two seasons,...
