Packers trade up to No. 26, select QB Love
The Green Bay Packers made perhaps the most shocking move of the 2020 NFL Draft so far, trading up to No. 26 in order to pick quarterback Jordan Love out of Utah State.
Green Bay dealt the 30th and 136th overall picks to the Miami Dolphins to move up four spots for Love.
The Packers reached the NFC Championship Game in January and were thought to be seeking another skill position player to make another run at the Super Bowl in 2020. Instead, Green Bay used its top pick on Aaron Rodgers' eventual successor.
Rodgers still appears to be near the top of his game, but the 36-year-old is entering his 16th season.
Famously, the Packers selected Rodgers with the 24th pick of the 2005 draft as franchise legend Brett Favre was entering his 15th campaign. Rodgers sat for three seasons before he succeeded Favre as the starting quarterback. Fifteen years later, Love was selected at almost the exact draft slot.
Prospect Profile
School: Utah State
Height: 6-4
Weight: 224 lbs
Positives
- Big-time arm talent
- Highly accurate when his mechanics are on point
- Connects on wild off-platform throws
- Extends and creates plays with his athleticism
- Effective runner when the play breaks down
Negatives
- Sloppy footwork leads to occasional accuracy issues
- Inexcusable turnovers in his final college season
- Constantly misses underneath defender in coverage
- Doesn't read the field well or throw with anticipation
- Drop-off from his sophomore season with a new supporting cast
Bottom Line
Love is not Patrick Mahomes. You'll almost certainly hear the MVP's name mentioned in discussions about Love, but nobody is actually making a direct comparison. That said, it isn't difficult to see why Mahomes' name is brought up. Love is a project but the elite arm talent is impossible to miss. His turnover issues are where things get dicey. The good news here is that Love's strengths are rare and not teachable, while the more troublesome areas can be rectified. Mechanics and decision-making are things he can work to master with an NFL staff. While there's no guarantee he ever puts it all together, the upside is worth a gamble.