2024 Packers roster ranking, 20-11: 2022 and '23 draft picks ready to take the leap

The Leap ranks the Green Bay Packers' 90-man roster in order of player caliber.

With the Green Bay Packers on break until training camp and the personnel essentially frozen for the foreseeable future, The Leap will use this time to reveal its annual 90-man roster rankings.

Our methodology: We ordered the players based on ability relative to their respective positions rather than the value of those positions. Put another way, this exercise prioritizes the "best" players, not necessarily the "most valuable" ones. That means the starting quarterback doesn't necessarily have to top the list because of the position he plays.

Each edition of the 90-man roster ranking will include a batch of roughly 10 players. Due to voting ties, some batches will feature slightly more or less.

Today's slate overwhelming features members of the Packers' 2022 and '23 draft classes that enter the year ready to take the leap.

20. Lukas Van Ness

Position: defensive end
How acquired: first-round draft pick (2023)

For all the success the Packers' 2023 draft class enjoyed last season, their first-round pick had a comparatively quiet rookie campaign. Lukas Van Ness, the uber-athletic-but-inexperienced pass rusher out of Iowa, appeared on just a third of the team's defensive snaps and recorded four sacks and 10 quarterback hits.

Still, the Packers always intended to bring along Van Ness gradually, following the blueprint used for fellow first-rounder Rashan Gary four years earlier. Gary too made little noise during his rookie season and change but grew into a force by the end of Year 2. By the conclusion of his third campaign, Gary had developed into Green Bay's top pass rusher, eventually earning a long-term extension.

Whether Van Ness turns into another field tilter remains uncertain, but he possesses all the physical tools necessary to reach that level.

T-17. Eric Stokes

Position: cornerback
How acquired: first-round draft pick (2021)

When Jaire Alexander missed a significant chunk of the 2021 season, the Packers defense largely managed just fine without the All-Pro corner. That unlikely outcome came in no small part from midseason pickup Rasul Douglas, but Eric Stokes probably deserves the lion's share of the credit. The first-round rookie played 92% of the defensive snaps that season, leading the team in pass breakups (14) while holding opposing passers to a sub-50% completion rate. Stokes' season represented a resounding success for any cornerback, not just a rookie.

Since then, Stokes' career has trended downward, the result of significant injuries in each of the last two seasons. The Packers believe that Stokes has finally moved past those health issues and appear ready to enter the 2024 season with him as one of their starting boundary corners. If he proves capable, Stokes will set himself up for a lucrative 2025 offseason.