Rethinking the outlook for Lukas Van Ness and Brenton Cox Jr.

After a week of padded practice, has the outlook changed for Packers defensive ends Lukas Van Ness and Brenton Cox Jr.?

Over the past six months, arguably no part of the Green Bay Packers roster has spent more time under the microscope than the defensive line. The concerns stemmed from a season that, while successful overall for the defense, raised a lot of eyebrows over an inconsistent pass rush.

A year ago, the Packers underwent a complete defensive overhaul. New defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley installed a system that differed considerably from his predecessor, shifting from an odd front to a four-man defensive line. As part of that change, Green Bay planned to move away from the blitz, rushing four in most cases and expecting those players to generate enough pressure by themselves.

The strategy made sense on paper. The defensive line featured four first-round picks as well as a handful of promising young pass rushers to complete the rotation. While the alignments would look different under Hafley, the Packers had just come off a season in which they finished with the sixth highest pressure rate (39.9%) using essentially the same group of players, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

However, roughly halfway through the 2024 campaign, the Packers had to pivot. The front four couldn't generate sufficient pressure on its own, and Hafley began to implement more simulated pressures and other gimmicks as a countermeasure. Even after those changes, Green Bay managed a pressure rate of only 32.3%, finishing 20th overall in the league in that metric.

After battling through an underwhelming pass rush for an entire year, the Packers addressed the defensive line during the offseason. However, rather than add a high-profile veteran or an early round pick to bolster the group, they instead tweaked the coaching staff. The team fired D-line coach Jason Rebrovich and installed former New England Patriots defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington as his replacement.

The decision revealed how the Packers felt about their personnel. In their view, the pass-rush problems stemmed not from a lack of talent but rather from poor instruction.

"We need to develop those players and push them to become better," Hafley said of the pass rushers Wednesday. "I think DeMarcus and [assistant D-line coach Vince Oghobaase] are doing a really great job of that right now."

The Packers need more consistent production from their defensive line as a whole. They cannot afford for Rashan Gary to spend the first month and a half of the season adjusting before finding his footing. They need Kenny Clark to at least somewhat resemble the pocket-collapsing form he displayed before 2024. Devonte Wyatt needs to turn more of his quarterback hurries into hits.

But even if all of those players deliver this season, the defense won't reach its potential without Green Bay's young pass rushers taking the necessary steps in their development. Two in particular could hold the key.