Green Bay Packers linebacker Rashan Gary is a big believer in rookie Lukas Van Ness, who is expected to contribute right away for the team in the upcoming 2023 NFL season.

“Real good. They call him ‘Hercules,' so you know it's all in his name,” Gary told reporters when he was asked about his thoughts on the Packers' first pick in last April's NFL Draft.

Preston Smith was another Packers defender who said great words about Van Ness, who was selected by Green Bay 13th overall in the draft.

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“All those tangible things. And really the thing that is intangible is his mind. He is a very, very smart, cerebral kid,” Packers pass rush specialist Jason Rebrovich said of Van Ness.

Before taking his talents to the pros, Lukas Van Ness spent three years in college playing for the Iowa Hawkeyes. He was an integral part of the Hawkeyes' suffocating defense in 2022 when the team ranked third overall in the nation with only 14.2 points allowed per contest and third nationally with just 283.3 total yards given up per game. Excluding his true first year with the Hawkeyes which he red-shirted, Van Ness collected 13.0 sacks, 70 total tackles, 19.0 tackles for losses, and a pass defended through 26 games.

With Aaron Rodgers no longer around to lead the offense, the Packers will have an increased focus on their defense. As Green Bay's top pick in the draft, Van Ness should find a significant role in his rookie season with the team's stop unit that was just 16th in 2022 with 21.8 points allowed per game and 15th in defensive sack rate.