Lukas Van Ness will play a critical role for the Green Bay Packers in 2026, the final year of his rookie contract. And he will again in 2027. The Green Bay Packers will pick up the fifth-year option of Lukas Van Ness, The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman reported on Thursday . Van Ness was the team’s first-round pick in 2023. The deadline to accept or decline the option is Friday. It’s an important and expensive decision. And a challenging one. Van Ness has started only two games in three seasons, but the runway for him to grab a full-time spot in the lineup is open following the decisions to trade Rashan Gary to the Cowboys and let Kingsley Enagbare sign with the Jets in free agency. He hasn’t done much with 8.5 sacks in three seasons.…