Round 1, Pick 16 (from WAS): EDGE Lukas Van Ness, Iowa / 6’5 272 LBS
The Barrington, Illinois native Lukas Van Ness is the first selection for the Chicago Bears in this mock draft. Talk about a picture-perfect fit for this defense, that’s in dire need of an upgrade on the edge. Nicknamed “Hercules” by his Iowa teammates, Van Ness is a massive body type with long arms and agility that helped him get 6 sacks in his recent redshirt sophomore season.
After only playing two seasons with the Hawkeyes, he ended up with 13 total sacks. He’s a physical specimen on the defensive line who can play all over the front. He’s best suited as a 4-3 defensive end, and even some scouts have had him as a DT. Off the edge for this Chicago Bears defense would be a perfect fit.
Lukas Van Ness uses a bull to inside rip displaying get off, good pad level and the ability to create force through proper leverage. Exciting young player who still needs molding.
Tested SO well: 4.5 at 6-foot-5 272 pounds. 21-years-old.
Played all over Iowa’s front depending… pic.twitter.com/2sWp1i35lK
— Spencer N. Schultz (@ravens4dummies) April 11, 2023
There’s no question he could get to the quarterback as a collegiate athlete, but things change in the NFL as most of you know. After reviewing some of his tape from last season, you can tell he needs to add to his pass rush ‘arsenal’. He tends to just blow people over and overpower lineman as opposed to using any sort of finesse.
That’s not saying he won’t be able to do that at the next level, but it won’t be as frequent. On the other hand, Van Ness is quite solid in the run game as well. He tends to just fill up so much space with his unique size and strength. I think he’d be a great fit for the Chicago Bears. And not that it matters, but he’s also dating Cole Kmet’s sister which is a pretty cool footnote.
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