Pundit Reaction Post
Bucky Brooks, NFL.COM:
26) Jordan Love, QB, Green Bay Packers (via Dolphins)
With Aaron Rodgers on the back nine of his career, the Packers wisely select a young quarterback to groom as his successor. Love is not a finished product at this stage of his career but spending a few seasons working on his craft in the shadows of the two-time MVP could serve him well when he takes over down the road.
Mel Kiper, ESPN:
WINNERS:
Green Bay Packers
The pick: Jordan Love, QB, Utah State (No. 26)
I love this landing spot for Love, a developmental quarterback who had a rough season after the Aggies lost a ton of talent around him. He threw 17 interceptions (most in the FBS), but you can't blame him for all of those. And you also can't coach the arm talent he has. Yes, the Packers traded a fourth-round pick to move up four spots to get Love, but Matt LaFleur now gets a young quarterback who can sit behind Aaron Rodgers and learn, just as Rodgers did all those years ago under Brett Favre.
Rodgers might not like the pick, but he is 36 and can't play forever. He knows he's not on the clock -- he has been there. Green Bay still has the talent to win now, but I like the move thinking long term. And look for Green Bay to target a wide receiver on Day 2.
Dane Bruegler, The Athletic:
Joe Burrow is a Bengal (as expected), Tua Tagovailoa is a Dolphin and … Jordan Love is a Packer? The quarterback selections on Day 1 of the draft, which also included the Chargers taking Justin Herbert, were relatively straightforward until No. 26, when Green Bay traded up to nab the Utah State QB....
26. Fifteen years ago, the Packers drafted a quarterback in the 20s to be the heir apparent to Brett Favre. And now they do it again with Jordan Love, who’s facing similar challenges as his predecessor, Aaron Rodgers. It is easy to see the Patrick Mahomes flashes with Love’s loose passing skills and downfield anticipation. And if Matt LaFleur can get him to eliminate the bad mistakes, Love has a very high ceiling as a passer. He goes to a situation where he won’t be pressed into action before he’s ready.
Matt Schiedman, The Athletic:
Aaron Rodgers has publicly said he wants to play into his early 40s. He recently turned 36. I’ll do the math for you: he wants to play another five or six years. After the Packers drafted Rodgers in the first round in 2005, he sat behind Brett Favre for three years. On Thursday night, they drafted quarterback Jordan Love. Earlier Thursday night, Rodgers went on the Pat McAfee Show and said, “We haven’t picked a skill player in the first round in 15 years, so that would be kind of cool.” That player was Rodgers 15 years ago. Now, the Packers use a first-round pick on an offensive skill player for the first time since they drafted Rodgers. And it’s another quarterback. Even with more pressing needs at wide receiver, offensive tackle, defensive line and inside linebacker, the Packers chose the guy they want to be their quarterback of the future, a decision that will be met with immense public scrutiny and ultimately define Brian Gutekunst’s tenure as general manager.
Michael Lombardi, former GM, The Athletic:
From the GM’s Eye: The Packers and Cowboys made unexpected but smart Day 1 picks
On Thursday night, Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst did what he is supposed to do in his role: he protected the franchise.
He focused on the long-term success of the team over a short quick fix with his decision to spend draft capital on a young quarterback. Moving up to draft Utah State’s Jordan Love at No. 26 may have upset a few people along the way — most notably the team’s current star quarterback, Aaron Rodgers — but, in reality, all that can matter to Gutekunst is how he can sustain success. Always having a quarterback with great potential on the roster is a huge first step toward accomplishing that goal. The Packers, who drafted Rodgers in the first round as the future successor to Brett Favre 15 years ago, know that better than anybody.
Of all the moves in the first round of the 2020 draft on Thursday, two jumped out to me as practical and smart selections that altered the team’s original course for the good of the board while taking the long-term view into account. Those two moves: The Packers trading up to select Love and the Cowboys drafting Oklahoma WR CeeDee Lamb at No. 17
Sheil Kapita, The Athletic:
Worst night: Aaron Rodgers
In the biggest story of the night, the Packers traded up from 30 to 26 for Utah State quarterback Jordan Love. From a team-building perspective, there’s nothing wrong with that move. Rodgers is 36, and it’s reasonable to look for a young quarterback. But think about it from Rodgers’ view. The Saints have done everything in their power this offseason to go all-in on 2020 to try to win a Super Bowl with 41-year-old Drew Brees. The Buccaneers traded up to get an offensive tackle for 42-year-old Tom Brady. And the Packers, well, they used the first round to draft Rodgers’ successor (or at least tried to). This came after an offseason where the Packers did nothing (I’m not counting the Devin Funchess signing) to give the offense a boost. They haven’t used a first-round pick on an offensive player since 2011 (tackle Derek Sherrod), and they haven’t used a first-round pick on a wide receiver since Rodgers has been there. Last summer, Packers fans quickly grew tired of the constant analysis of the relationship between Rodgers and head coach Matt LaFleur. Now it’ll be the same thing with Rodgers and Love in 2020.
Chad Reuter, NFL.COM
Green Bay Packers
Draft pick: Utah State QB Jordan Love (No. 26 overall)
Day 1 grade and analysis: A-
I thought Jordan Love was worth a first-round selection. The Packers did as well. In a mirror reflection of the 2005 draft, the Packers pick a first-round quarterback to learn behind Aaron Rodgers, just as they picked Rodgers to groom behind Brett Favre.
I believe Rodgers has at least a few more years of high-level performance in him -- should they have selected someone to help Rodgers excel during that time? Some Packers fans will think so. However, Love could help Green Bay win games over that span if Rodgers gets hurt again. Plus, there wasn't great value at receiver at the end of the first round; I expect the Packers to meet that need in Rounds 2 or 3 in a deep class. They also have needs at linebacker (Patrick Queen was available at No. 26), cornerback (same goes for Jaylon Johnson and Kristian Fulton) and right tackle (Josh Jones), but the players remaining at those spots did not offer as much value as Love. The Packers expect to pick near the end of the first with Rodgers as their QB1, so they figured they would get their guy while they could. They found value at the game's most important position.
They gave up the 30th pick in Round 1 and a fourth-round pick (No. 136) to get Love, which is standard fare for this type of move.
Gregg Rosenthal, NFL.COM
MOVING DOWN
Aaron Rodgers' training camp mood: Perhaps Rodgers will learn from his awkward early seasons with Brett Favre and truly embrace being a mentor for quarterback Jordan Love, the Utah State product who was taken No. 26 overall on Thursday night. But the Packers' decision to move up four spots to secure their QB of the future will inevitably lead to a lot of annoying questions for Rodgers over the next few years. Because of the guaranteed money in Rodgers' contract, it's hard to imagine the Packers moving on from him before 2022, when Rodgers will turn 39. That's a fair guess for when Love could take over, if he develops under Packers coach Matt LaFleur.
Love was a fascinating prospect to evaluate. Perhaps the most talented quarterback in this class, his arm and movement ability reminds me more of Patrick Mahomes than anyone since Patrick Mahomes. It's ideal that Love can sit on the bench for a few years to clean up his decision-making and mechanics, just like Rodgers once did in Green Bay. (Love was far less accurate and made worse decisions than Rodgers or Mahomes did in college.) It's now up to Rodgers to make like Favre and make the decision as difficult as possible. This draft felt unlike anything we've seen before, but the selection of Love was a reminder that NFL time is a flat circle.