Lukas Van Ness one of the most overlooked high school prospects in 2023 NFL draft
The Iowa Hawkeyes know how to turn overlooked and underrated high school talent into productive college stars and NFL players. They don’t always get the top recruits, but they are arguably the best school in the nation at getting the most out of their guys.
Lukas Van Ness is going to join a long, storied line of Hawkeyes who came to Iowa feeling slighted by the recruiting process only to prove everyone wrong and turn themselves into top NFL prospects.
As we near the 2023 NFL draft, CBS Sports’ Shanna McCarriston looked at some of the top draft prospects’ recruiting rankings out of high school and has Van Ness among those who were most overlooked by recruiting evaluators.
CBS Sports rank: No. 15 (EDGE3) | 247Sports Composite: 3 stars (No. 52 strong-side DE) in Class of 2020
Van Ness graduated from Barrington High School in Illinois in 2020 sitting at No. 1063 in the national rating for his class. However, he became an NFL prospect at Iowa. The 6-foot-5, 240-pound player was named second-team All-Big Ten in 2022 and was tied with the second-most sacks in the Big Ten over the past two seasons, coming in at 14.0. (Full NFL Draft scouting report) – McCarriston, CBS Sports
Van Ness already brings an ideal combination of size, strength, and speed that current NFL teams look for. He can bull rush blockers and has proven he has the speed to turn the corner and pass rush as he did at Iowa.
His draft stock has been as high as a sure-fire top-10 pick by some outlets while others see him going off the board in the ranges of picks 15 to 20. One thing that is common, though, is that very, very few see Van Ness making his way out of the first round. The Hawkeye will be finding out his new home in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft.
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