Lukas Van Ness isn’t playing more, but he’s playing better

When Brian Gutekunst traded Preston Smth in October, he specifically mentioned playing time for young players as part of his reasoning for the move.

And the Packers have stuck with that plan, albeit in a bit of an unusual way. Smith’s departure from Green Bay has led to more snaps for Brenton Cox and Arron Mosby, but not for 2023 first-round pick Lukas Van Ness, whose playing time has remained essentially unchanged despite the depth chart ahead of him looking different.

But it’s true. Van Ness’s participation is essentially unchanged, only ticking up a bit in Week 14, the first time since Smith was traded that he’s broken 30 snaps in a game.

(click here for an interactive version of this chart)

…