The Green Bay Packers have at least a few more seasons of Aaron Rodgers leading the team at quarterback, but the time to start planning for the future at the position is right around the corner.
Rodgers, who turned 36 this past December, is under contract for at least the next four seasons. He’s scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in 2024, when he’ll be 40 years old.
Because of the flexibility the Packers have with developing a future starter, NFL Network draft analyst and former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah recently picked the Packers as the best team fit for quarterback prospect Jordan Love in April’s upcoming draft.
Here’s what Jeremiah had to say about Love:
I won’t be shocked if Love goes in the top 10. I also won’t be surprised if he falls to the bottom of the first round. Grades are all over the place on the Utah State product. He is the most talented natural thrower in the entire draft. However, due to a variety of circumstances (losing a number of starters, dealing with a new coaching staff and scheme, etc.) his play dramatically fell off this past season. He will need some time to sit and develop, but the payoff could be huge.
The biggest argument against drafting Love is that the Packers need to maximize the talent around Rodgers at the current moment, providing him with the tools necessary to make another serious run at a Super Bowl. There also are financial arguments, given the huge advantage of building a team with a quarterback on a rookie contract.
On the flip side, the argument for drafting Love is the same reason the Packers drafted Rodgers himself. Back in 2005, the year Rodgers was drafted, former starter Brett Favre had just turned 36 years old. Originally projected to be a top-10 pick at the time, Rodgers slid all the way to pick No. 24, allowing Green Bay to select their future starter.
It could be a similar scenario for the Pack if Love begins to slide down the board in April’s draft. As Jeremiah pointed out, drafting Love would potentially allow the team to have another decade of solid production at the position.
As for how he projects as a prospect, Love is one of the most intriguing quarterbacks in the 2020 draft. He possesses ideal size (6-4, 224), athleticism, arm strength and playmaking ability for the position. The downside is that he lacked consistency for much of his college career.
Over his three seasons at Utah State, Love threw for 8,600 yards, 60 touchdowns and 29 interceptions while completing 61.2 percent of his passes. He finished with 12 career 300-yard passing games, was responsible for 9,003 yards of total offense (school record), and led his team to a 21-11 record (.656) as starting quarterback.
The potential for Love to be an impact starter in the NFL is certainly there – if he lands with the right team. Could that team be the Packers?