Lukas Van Ness is projected to be a 1st/2nd round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft and is one of the top defensive end prospects in the country. The former Iowa DE is explosive and has raw power that propelled him to being one of the top defensive players in the B1G last season.

On Wednesday, Van Ness explained what made him stand out among a strong defensive line class, including Tyree Wilson, Will Anderson, Jalen Carter, Jared Verse, Myles Murphy, Felix Anudike-Uzomah and Byron Young, to name a few.

Van Ness’ draft outlook

Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports has Van Ness being drafted 17th overall to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bucky Brooks has Van Ness falling to the Eagles at pick No. 30.

As he stated above, Van Ness’ flexibility is a great help to his current draft stock. He stands at 6-foot-5, 275 pounds and thrived as both an interior lineman and pass rusher with the Hawkeyes. There’s no reason to believe that power cannot translate to the pro level.

We’ll see where Van Ness is drafted on April 27.