Lukas Van Ness isn’t into excuses. Only realities.

And the cold hard truth is Van Ness — the Green Bay Packers’ first round draft pick in 2023 — was severely hampered by the broken right thumb he played with last season.

Many expected Van Ness to take a major jump in 2024. Instead, the defensive end had three sacks, six quarterback hits and six tackles for loss in Year 2 after posting four sacks, 10 quarterback hits and eight tackles for loss as a rookie.

That mediocre production has led many to speculate that Van Ness is on the ‘Hot Seat’ in 2025. Time will tell there.

What the 23-year-old Van Ness knows is that he’s healthy today. He didn’t need offseason surgery. Just rest and physical therapy.

And now that Van Ness is fully recovered, he’s giddy about what awaits.

“Physically I feel fantastic,” Van Ness said Wednesday during the Packers’ annual Tailgate Tour across Wisconsin. “I was dealing with the thumb a lot last year, so I was able to get that back in the offseason and I’m feeling great. I can’t wait for this season.”

To protect his broken thumb last year, Van Ness lined up almost exclusively on the right side. That meant Van Ness worked against strictly left tackles, who are typically the best pass blockers on the offensive line.

This season, Van Ness should be able to flip-flop spots with fellow defensive end Rashan Gary throughout a game and could draw more favorable matchups.

“I was really limited last year,” said Van Ness, the 13^th overall pick in 2023. “I could only play on the right side for the most part, due to this broken thumb. Now I can flip back and play on both sides of the defensive line, which I’m really excited about.”

There remains a lot to be excited about when it comes to Van Ness, a physical marvel nicknamed ‘Hercules.’

Van Ness ran the 40-yard dash in 4.58 seconds coming out of Iowa at the 2023 NFL Combine. He had the largest hands (11 inches) in the defensive line group that year. His arms are an impressive 34 inches long. And he won’t turn 24 until later this summer.

Things have been challenging in Green Bay, though.

Van Ness was a standup outside linebacker as a rookie in 2023, after playing with his hand on the ground at Iowa. The Packers switched from a 3-4 front to a 4-3 base last year, though, meaning Van Ness went back to playing as a traditional defensive end.

Then, the thumb injury added a new set of challenges.

There’s no doubt, though, that the Packers needed more from Van Ness in 2024, meaning 2025 becomes a critical year in his development.

“It’s important for all our guys, including Lukas,” Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said at this year’s NFL Combine. “Again, we talked a little bit about we need to affect the quarterback more in our front four, with just four players, and Lukas is a big part of that. He does everything he can. He’s everything you want in a professional as far as his work ethic and what he puts into it, and I expect him to take a big jump this year.”

Green Bay holds the 23^rd pick in the first round of this year’s draft. And the Packers could certainly take another defensive lineman, a position where they lack depth.

No matter what happens, Van Ness believes he’s ready for bigger and better things.

As seven current and former Packer players spoke to a group college students at Waukesha County Technical College as part of their annual tour Wednesday, team president Mark Murphy talked about the toughness Van Ness has displayed and called him a “great player.”

Van Ness is excited to try proving Murphy right this upcoming season. And if that happens, Green Bay’s defense — which ranked sixth overall and sixth in points allowed last season — could take another step forward.

“My expectations are always going to be higher for myself than anybody else and I’ve naturally always been that way,” Van Ness said. “I’m hard on myself, but that ultimately is what pushes me and drives me to be a great player. So, my mindset isn’t going to change. I’ve still got to come to work, compete for my job, compete for a starting spot and I’m excited to do that this upcoming year.”