Micah Parsons Hypes Packers' Lukas Van Ness, Says He'll Have 'His Best Year Yet'

Lukas Van Ness didn't fully live up to expectations during his first two years in the NFL, but playing alongside Micah Parsons in his third could set him up for his best individual season.

Just ask the Green Bay Packers' newest defensive addition

"I'm telling you, I think Van Ness is going to have his best year yet this year," Parsons said, per ESPN's Rob Demovsky. "I'm going to make sure of it. That guy, he's a very selfless player, like very selfless. He's one of them guys that can go anywhere. He plays the run, he does everything. He's the high-quality player that you just want to be around. I'm going to make sure that guy gets as many plays as possible."

Green Bay selected Van Ness with the No. 13 overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft, and he posted a combined seven sacks in his first two seasons.

However, everything changed when the Packers traded for Parsons ahead of the 2025 campaign. Van Ness will now face plenty of single blockers and blitzing lanes while opposing offensive lines focus much of their attention on the Penn State product.

"I believe in him," Parsons said. "I told him, I said, 'I think you can be like a Cameron Wake, [or] you could be like a Julius Peppers. You're a 4.5 [40-yard dash] guy, and it's time for you to show it.' And we're going to put it together. We're going to keep working out together ... and I'm excited to see how that turns out for him."

The Parsons effect was on full display during Sunday's 27-13 victory over the Detroit Lions.

▶️ Full Lions-Packers Recap

05:39

Van Ness finished with four tackles, 0.5 sack and one quarterback hit, while Parsons notched a sack of his own. Demovsky noted Green Bay pressured Jared Goff on 14 of his 43 dropbacks despite blitzing him just twice. 

That is a testament to the front four's ability to generate pressure with that Parsons and Van Ness combination, which is a scary thought for the rest of the NFC.

"Ultimately, we're just trying to get matchups and one-on-ones, and I mean, you saw the production today," Van Ness said. "I think we were able to get some favorable matchups and the one-on-ones that we want. I think especially since we added Micah to the room, I think it's, if you get that one-on-one, you better win. So I'm proud of the guys. I think we had a great game and it was a great way to kick off the season."

Parsons is going to get his numbers as one of the best defensive players in the league. If Van Ness can continue to take advantage of the situation as well, the Super Bowl is a realistic goal.