Rashan Gary praises a young Green Bay Packers pass rusher.
The Green Bay Packers’ pass rush is one of their strongest defensive assets. Rashan Gary is leading the way after signing a massive contract extension in 2023. When healthy, he is one of the best pass rushers in the NFL.
Despite being on a pitch count last season as he recovered from ACL surgery, opponents couldn’t stop him. Rashan Gary ranked near the NFL in key pass-rushing metrics, and the Packers hope that trend continues in 2024 and beyond.
Green Bay has a solid mix of options to mix in along with Gary. Veteran Preston Smith is still on the roster and the team has young players such as Lukas Van Ness looking to make an impact. A first-round pick in 2023, Van Ness was brought along slowly, as many Packers rookies are.
But, in the second half of the season, we got a glimpse of what could be on the horizon. Over the final eight games of the season, including the playoffs, the Iowa product racked up 4.0 sacks and eight quarterback hits.
It wasn’t a product of receiving more playing time, as Van Ness played over 50 percent of the defensive snaps only once in that stretch; Super Wild Card Weekend against the Dallas Cowboys. Rashan Gary praised the work his young teammate has put in, as he couldn’t hide his smile when asked about Van Ness.
“He is not even scraping the surface, guy. Gary responded, “He’s just getting started.” “The player he was coming in from rookie minicamp to the one he’s leaving now to have an offseason to focus on his game is quite different.
“I know it’s going to be a significant step next year since he has the same type of work ethic as me and is hungry for everything in front of him…” He knows what he has to work on, and I know he’ll grow better at it. “I can’t wait to see him tear it up next year.”
Rashan Gary’s 2023 first-round draft pick has received tremendous accolades. There aren’t many, if any, people who would argue against that. Van Ness possesses all of the attributes necessary to become a formidable pass rusher, giving the Green Bay Packers a potentially dominant pair to lean on.
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