The pro football dreams of Iowa defensive end Lukas Van Ness came true on Thursday night. The 22-year-old was taken 13th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. He is the highest-drafted Hawkeye since Tristan Wirfs went 13th overall in the 2023 Draft. He was seen as one of the top defensive ends in the draft.
Van Ness is a pure physical pass rusher. While his game is going to need some work to give him more versatility at the NFL level, he is going to be an absolute beast of a player in Green Bay. However, his dad has managed to overshadow van Ness' moment in the spotlight thanks to a viral moment right after his son was drafted.
Dad van Ness Seen Grabbing Son's GF's Ass
Van Ness was not present in Kansas City for the draft, instead watching with family in Illinois. The large group of hardy corn-fed Illinoians went wild as van Ness receives the fateful phone call. His girlfriend, Frankie Kmet (white romper, brown hair) kisses her boyfriend on the cheek before getting up to hug Lukas' dad, Jason. Kmet is the sister of NFL tight end Cole Kmet, who currently plays for the Chicago Bears. Their other brother, Casey, plays baseball at Notre Dame. Frankie is well known for her gorgeous appearance and Instagram presence. She and van Ness have reportedly been an item since last year.
Jason hugs his son's girlfriend and then sends her back to the couch where Lukas is sat with a little double-tap on the ass. A completely forgettable and innocuous moment...if it hadn't happened on live television. Social media went absolutely crazy over the moment as the draft continued. This had been preceded by confusion about all the women surrounding van Ness because apparently, people on Twitter don't know what a family is. None of the parties involved have spoken out about the incident, because why would they? However, it is an evergreen reminder that the NFL Draft is the best place to be for weird moments. Congratulations to Lukas on being drafted and we wish him all the best in Green Bay.
[via]