The NFL Draft is part performance and part potential. Lukas Van Ness fits better in to the latter group than he does the former but brings a lot to the table any way you slice it.
He certainly impacted games during his two seasons playing at Iowa. He shared the team-lead in sacks (13.5 total) during each of them despite not starting in his 27 contests.
NFL scouts watched the Barrington (IL) High graduate terrorize opposing offenses from different spots on the defensive line. He created draft buzz and started popping up in the first round of mock drafts.
Van Ness (6-5, 272) supplemented his film with a strong performance at this week's scouting combine in Indianapolis. It sparked speculation that he could be a Top 10 picks in April's NFL Draft.
He clocked 4.58 seconds in the 40-yard dash, tied for the ninth fastest time among D-Ends in Indy. For context, No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney ran a 4.53 as a DE in '14.
Van Ness, 21, also posted this year's second-fastest times in the 3-Cone Drill (7.02) and the 20-yard Shuttle (4.32). Future hall-of-famer J.J. Watt had a 6.88 3-Cone and a 4.21 Shuttle in '11.
The numbers were made more impressive when considering Van Ness's size. This year's fastest times in the 3-Cone and Shuttle came from Eastern Michigan's Jose Ramirez, who is three inches shorter and 30 pounds lighter than the Iowa product.
NFL franchises emphasize arm length when it comes to edge performers. Anything under 33 inches can be a red flag for scouts. Van Ness settles in comfortably at 34.
If the NFL's Next Gen Stats are your thing, Van Ness comes in seventh among edges with a score of 76. That's labeled "Good" by Next Gen with the service only rating six prospects at 90 or above, the cut-off to be considered "Elite."
Relative Athletic Score (RAS) also analytically ranks player performance at the combine. It dings Van Ness for what it considers a low number of reps (17) in bench press. Still, it sees him in the 97th percentile athletically, and with more context, a special athlete.
While they will change between now and April 27, when the draft kicks off in Kansas City, some prognosticators already have Van Ness in the first round.
Here's a look at some of them:
Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN - 1st RD, No. 24 overall, Jacksonville ($)
Todd McShay, ESPN - 1st RD, No. 19 overall, Tampa Bay ($)
Chris Trapasso, CBS - 1st RD, No. 10 overall, Philadelphia
Luke Easterling, USA TODAY - 1st RD, No. 15 overall, Green Bay
Bucky Brooks, NFL.com - 1st RD, No. 30 overall, Philadelphia
Dave Zangaro, NBC Sports - 1st RD, No. 26 overall, Dallas
The Athletic's Dane Brugler recognized Van Ness' talent earlier than other analysts, trumpeting his cause months ago. He posted his pre-combine Top 100 prospects ($) on Feb. 14, and listed Van Ness No. 18 overall.
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