Packers' Lukas Van Ness Gets Honest on Micah Parsons' Mentorship

Green Bay Packers pass rusher Lukas Van Ness is entering a pivotal season as he will look to be disruptive off the edge.

Prior to the 2025 season, Green Bay traded for superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons, who had a major impact on their defense. Parsons appeared in 14 games, finishing with 41 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles.

Beyond his numbers, Parsons also took up a ton of attention from opposing teams, which freed up one-on-one opportunities for players like Van Ness.

"I've learned a lot from Micah over the past year," Van Ness said. "He's taught me a lot about how I can improve and work on my game. He's just a really good dude, a really good guy and a good guy to have in my corner."

Van Ness only appeared in nine games in the 2025 season due to injuries and finished with 19 total tackles, three tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks.

He will be relied on throughout the season as Green Bay parted ways with rotational pass rushers from 2025, as they traded Rashan Gary to the Dallas Cowboys and allowed Kingsley Enagbare to join the New York Jets in free agency.

This puts a lot more pressure on Van Ness, as well as their other young pass rushers in Barryn Sorrell, Collin Oliver, and rookie Dani Dennis-Sutton.

Parsons is also unlikely to be ready for the start of the season as he recovers from his torn ACL, which leaves Van Ness as their top edge rusher.

Green Bay can lean on free agency acquisition Javon Hargrave to help their pass rush. Hargrave appeared in 16 games in 2025, finishing with 52 total tackles, four tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. 

While these numbers don't jump off the page, Hargrave had the best season of his career when playing under defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022.

With Gannon now serving as the Packers' defensive coordinator, Hargrave could have a great season and help their pass rush play at a high level.

Green Bay has Super Bowl aspirations in 2026, and if Van Ness has a breakout season, it will go a long way in the team making a deep run.

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