The Packers shocked the nation when they selected Utah State quarterback Jordan Love in the 2020 NFL draft, moving up four spots to the No. 26 overall selection to take him.
While the move has been the subject of criticism since Love won’t help Green Bay’s chances of winning under Aaron Rodgers’ title window, there couldn’t have been many better landing spots for the rookie quarterback. A raw, yet wickedly talented project, Love is not the type of quarterback who is ready to start in the NFL right away.
Not only will landing in Green Bay allow him to develop under a professional coaching staff before making his debut, but he will get to learn under one of the best quarterbacks of the current generation. Having time to develop when a quarterback isn’t ready can be the difference between a Patrick Mahomes situation and a Mitchell Trubisky situation.
On the field, Love is an incredibly toolsy quarterback with a very high ceiling. He has one of the strongest arms in the 2020 class, as he can throw with great velocity, deliver an impressive deep ball and deliver rockets from an off-base platform or an awkward delivery angle. The flashes he has shown in his touch down the field are certainly intriguing, and if cleaned up and made more consistent, he can be a dangerous deep thrower in the NFL. He has an athletic skillset for a quarterback too, as he has good agility in and out of the pocket and can pick up yards on the ground.
The Packers have a talented roster that is built to win now, and while one could argue that drafting a wide receiver in the first round would have fit that approach, kudos to their management for not being afraid of being aggressive in acquiring the player they believe will be their future franchise quarterback. If all goes well, Love will be the next quarterback in a chain of extremely talented players at the position that Green Bay has had over the past 30 years.
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