Chicago Bears 2023 Mock Draft: Wheeling and dealing in full effect

Chicago Bears pick Luka Van Ness, EDGE, Iowa

Lukas Van Ness helps the poor Chicago Bears pass rush. The Bears ranked dead last in sacks and 31st in quarterback pressure.

Many people were surprised that Van Ness entered the draft since he is just a redshirt sophomore. He burst onto the scene in Iowa as a redshirt freshman in 2021. Despite playing in a rotational role, he had 7 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss. In 2022, he had 10.5 tackles for loss and 6 sacks. He did that in spite of not being a starter.

Van Ness measures in at 6-foot-5, 275 pounds. He seems like a freak of nature built in a laboratory. In addition to his size, he is incredibly athletic. He is explosive and has great build-up speed. He rockets off the snap and shocks blockers with great force.

Van Ness isn’t just all about power. He uses great technique as well by lowering his pads, leveraging his hips, loading his base, and extending inside the torso. He does a good job of faking a move inside before quickly going back outside while maintaining his power. Additionally, he has good bend and that helps him get away from blockers.

Since he was just a redshirt sophomore, Van Ness still has room to improve. He still needs to add more moves to his repertoire. However, there are many defensive coordinators salivating at the chance to have Van Ness on their units.