Lukas Van Ness Poised for Breakout 2025 Season: Micah Parsons Predicts ‘Best Year Yet’ for Packers Star

GREEN BAY – Green Bay Packers edge rusher Lukas Van Ness is suddenly at the center of one of the NFL’s most intriguing defensive storylines. After the Packers’ surprise blockbuster that brought three-time All-Pro Micah Parsons from Dallas to Titletown this summer, coaches and teammates believe the 2023 first-round pick is poised for a true breakout in his third season. Parsons, now lining up opposite Rashan Gary, has already taken Van Ness under his wing. “He’s about to have his best year yet,” Parsons told reporters after a joint practice, noting that offenses won’t be able to double-team everyone. That matters: Van Ness split snaps between the edge and interior in 2024 and still produced 27 quarterback pressures, second on the team per Next Gen Stats. Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is expected to unleash more NASCAR-style fronts that feature all three pass-rushers standing up, a look already flashed in preseason. In those packages, Van Ness slides inside, where his 6-5, 272-pound frame and 34-inch arms create mismatches against slower guards. “It’s the same concept the Giants rode with Strahan, Osi and Tuck,” Hafley said earlier this week. “Lukas is our wrecking ball in the middle.” The alignment freed him for two sacks and three hurries in 19 preseason pass-rush snaps, per Pro Football Focus. The added mentorship off the field might be just as important. Van Ness has spoken openly about studying Parsons’ ghost move and incorporating a wider take-off angle. The Athletic reported that the pair spend post-practice sessions refining hand placement and counter moves, an emphasis the Iowa product felt he lacked coming out of college. The optimism has seeped into Vegas: BetMGM shortened Van Ness’s Defensive Player of the Year odds from 40-1 to 18-1 after the Parsons trade announcement, the biggest mid-offseason swing for any non-quarterback. Fantasy managers are taking notice as well; Van Ness’s roster percentage on ESPN IDP leagues jumped from 21 percent to 67 percent in the first week of September. There are still areas to clean up. Van Ness’s run-stop win rate (28.5 percent) ranked 39th among edge defenders last season, and he drew six offsides penalties. Hafley said discipline remains a coaching point but added that “penalties drop when guys know exactly where they’re lining up,” a subtle nod to the more defined roles expected in 2025. The Packers open at home Sunday against the Vikings, whose revamped offensive line surrendered the league’s fifth-highest pressure rate a year ago. If Van Ness exploits single-blocking as projected, he could set an early tone for a defense that ranked 30th in sack percentage just two seasons ago. Keyword cluster: Lukas Van Ness, Green Bay Packers edge rusher, Micah Parsons trade, Packers pass rush, breakout season, NFL Week 1, Green Bay defense, 2025 sacks.