Sure, it probably means thoroughly aggravating their current quarterback, but the Green Bay Packers got their guy.
In the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the Packers not only drafted Utah State quarterback Jordan Love, but traded up to make sure they got him. This, of course, comes with longtime quarterback (and a good one at that) Aaron Rodgers still very much on the roster.
So, why did they feel so inclined to get a quarterback — especially as early as they did? NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport explained Sunday evening.
2020 NFL Draft: Grades, Thoughts, Analysis For Each Team With Every Round Complete
“They were adamant about getting a quarterback, it’s not just like well if one fell to them they were going to — no, the Packers wanted Jordan Love,” Rapoport said. “So much so, they actually had deals late in the first round to move up with the Seahawks. That obviously ended up not being necessary because they moved up ahead of them and ended up taking Jordan Love.
“There was really no one else as far as I can tell who was going to come up for him. The Colts that were rumored, my understanding is the Colts never made any calls. This was the Packers just making sure that whatever happened, they got their guy. He’s clearly a developmental quarterback, the skills are there, everybody unanimously loved how he threw the football, loved the athleticism, loved the potential. He’s just not really going to be able to play for a year or two, that’s why he’s so perfect for Green Bay.
“And the reason the organization in its entirety has confidence in this is because they’ve seen it before. This is the same thing that happened to Aaron Rodgers. By the way, Rodgers and Love have connected. And according to Matt LaFleur, who told Mike Silver this, they still have incredible confidence in Rodgers that he will be there long term, this just is about developing the future.”
From @NFLTotalAccess: The #Packers were adamant about trading up for Utah St QB Jordan Love, not wanting to miss out on their potential QB of the future. pic.twitter.com/grUOmzjKqF
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 26, 2020
Hey, there’s no problem planning for the future. But the Packers are a team that’s positioned to win now, and drafting skill players to surround their elite, NFL-ready quarterback with probably would’ve been a bit wiser of a move.
