2020 Packers first round pick: Jordan Love, QB

[GleefulGary]

If people want to like the pick, there are things in Love's film and in the reports about him that will allow them to do so.

If people want to hate the pick, there are things in Love's film and in the reports about him that will allow them to do so.

Gutekunst and LaFleur liked what they saw enough to make the investment. Simply because they think that doesn't mean it's going to work out by any means. But they went for it, and now their legacies with Green Bay are tied to this investment.

But what is just flat out wrong are the takes that this kid has no redeeming qualities or that anyone could watch his film and see he will never work.

It's also important to realize that a lot of the metrics, while they seem cut and dry, are actually more subjective than you'd think. PFF thinks Love was supremely inaccurate. The Athletic posted a graphic that showed Love was 2nd behind only Burrow in accuracy %, saying that 90% of his passes beyond the LOS were catchable.

I'm not saying one is right or one is wrong. I'm just saying that it's not that simple.

Fyi, the graphic in The Athletic came via Benjamin Solak.

In other news, good posting, per usual.

 

[Patriotplayer90]

Worst reasons I've seen for hating the pick (paraphrasing a lil bit)

1: "Rodgers has said he wants to play into his 40's. Why draft a guy now?"

Well because unless Rodgers play improves over what we've seen the last 2-3 years he won't be playing in GB into his by age 39 one way or another

2: "The odds of drafting another great QB is low. Why even try"

This is probably the most internet reasoning ever

3: "The Packers just resigned themselves to mediocrity for the remainder of Rodgers time here"

A single draft pick late in the 1st round isn't going to be the deciding factor on that

4: "Rodgers was a potential #1 pick. Love was never in that discussion"

Rodgers was only in discussion for the #1 overall pick because SF needed a QB. Neither him nor Smith were considered in the discussion as best prospects going into that draft. And it should be noted Love (in a much stronger QB class) was mocked as high as #6

5: "This doesn't help us this year or next year at all"

If we were drafting high in the 1st this would be valid (see my views on the Gary selection). If you're drafting late in round 1 but only going to be drafting guys that could be instant impact players then you're going to miss out on some darn good developmental guys because you can't look past the season right in front of you (see the Kenny Clark selection)

6: "Should've just waited till Rodgers retires and then took a QB"

So you can be in a position were you might have to draft a QB high that you might not like but can't pass on because you absolutely need a QB versus drafting one that you love? Thats the exact reason why QBs who aren't even top 10 prospects go in the top 3 lots of years

But my personal favorite...

7: "The Packers have continually ignored to surround Rodgers with weapons by refusing to draft offense in round one and this is just another slap in the face and keeping it a one man show"

This one is just comical to me. Not only has Rodgers had a top flight offensive line in GB for most of the Rodgers era but for the most part he's been working with one of the best WRs corps in the league. Yes missed draft picks have diluted the skill positions on the outside the last 2 years but acting like Rodgers hasn't been given talent on offense over the years is simply re writing history because you're blinded by the present


If you didn't like Love as a prospect I get not liking the pick. I really do. He's pretty much the definition of boom or bust. But it seems its more a love of Rodgers getting in the way and a failure to see past this season

What's laughable is the record without Rodgers since he became the starter, and the horrific defensive implosions in the playoffs. The teams haven't been good, and this would more or less be a cellar dwelling team without him

 

[CanadaCheese]

Considering we beat 2 of the 4 already, I'll take my chances.

OK.......The teams competing for the SB in the next four years do not include GB

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I advocating using pick 30 to move back into the mid 2nd and get another 3rd. Take the 3rd and get 2 4th round picks. And grab 2 WRs there.

It really cost us 4 picks.

I'm going to make your math even harder. Let's say we make that trade with the Bears and they throw Jason Spriggs in on the deal. How many total picks, over the course of time, did we end up using to have Spiggs on our roster.

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[CanadaCheese]

What's laughable is the record without Rodgers since he became the starter, and the horrific defensive implosions in the playoffs. The teams haven't been good, and this would more or less be a cellar dwelling team without him

Probably not cellar but certainly not in playoff mixes

 

[Do7]

OK.......The teams competing for the SB in the next four years do not include GB

Says who, you?

 

[Ogsponge]

I am baffled by the pick and it started many negative thoughts swirling in my head, that said, gonna wait for the rest of the draft to play out before forming an opinion

 

[CanadaCheese]

Says who, you?

Yes

 

[GreenNGold_81]

Gute has to nail these next two picks, or he can realistically be fired at the end of this season IMO.

 

[Sunshinepacker]

You'll change your tune if Rodgers goes down in a heap again.

Nope, Love isn't going to win many games at QB early in his career, especially with the receiving group he would be trying to throw to.

 

[Sunshinepacker]

Rodgers had the same problem. wonder what his % was. Love has upside. Rodgers doesn't. he's trending down and he's costing them a fortune. this was also a power move by Gute AND MLF. as I said earlier if Rodgers isn't gone before 2021 he'll surely be gone before 2022.

This is perhaps the silliest argument I've heard. Instead of getting a 13-3 team help with what you call a "declining" QB, you just start planning for 2022.

 

[easyk83]

"What's interesting is that John Schneider said in his press conference that the #Seahawks "had a trade lined up to go back a little bit" but made the pick afterwards when it fell through.

He wouldn't say where the trade would have placed them, but just an interesting tidbit."

https://www.stampedeblue.com/2020/4/24/21234098/per-rapoport-jordan-love-nearly-became-a-colt

Its possible that the potential suitor for Seattle's number 27 was Indi and that they were targeting Love. Maybe we might be shopping Love to the Colts, unlikely but its a possibility. They'll likely need a QB sooner than we will and if they really like him we could get good value out of such a trade. Maybe swap Love for a 34, swap 3rd rounders and maybe pick up a 5th or a 6th.

That would give us good positioning to target LB, OL and WR in the first 70 picks.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Hard for me to wrap my head around this idea of "I will wait to pass judgement on the Love pick, until I see what the Packers do the rest of the draft". The Love pick is known, its done and the Packers made the pick not based on knowing what their next picks will be, those picks were unknown at the time Love was drafted. I don't really see how one influences the other. Unless you are talking about an "overall draft grade".

 

[GleefulGary]

"What's interesting is that John Schneider said in his press conference that the #Seahawks "had a trade lined up to go back a little bit" but made the pick afterwards when it fell through.

He wouldn't say where the trade would have placed them, but just an interesting tidbit."

https://www.stampedeblue.com/2020/4/24/21234098/per-rapoport-jordan-love-nearly-became-a-colt

Its possible that the potential suitor for Seattle's number 27 was Indi and that they were targeting Love. Maybe we might be shopping Love to the Colts, unlikely but its a possibility.

It was the Packers.

 

[PackAttack12]

You're right, but that's been the issue from the beginning. The guys in the locker room, at least the good ones, love Rodgers. That's always been an issue because everyone on top of him has been kind of soft and seem to be at odds with him and fight him rather than try to give him what he needs to supplement his rare talent. TB just traded for Gronkowski and is taking Brady's input into consideration, they get it. KC is surrounding Mahomes with players who elevate him, not the other way around. Meanwhile, Gute basically kicked Nelson out of town and drafted 3 mid round developmental receivers and signed an obvious washed up TE. They treat him like part of the problem when he's covered problems and carried worthless teams for the majority of his career.

Rodgers is set in his ways, but so has the FO and coaches for his entire career. I know who I think will have a better legacy

Oh the accuracy of this post.

 

[tynimiller]

Without claiming any inside knowledge whatsoever, Greg Cosell speculated on the Ross Tucker Podcast that LaFleur wanted to find a player for the future who will just run the offense, rather than make changes at the line or ad lib on the fly. That was his take-- that Rodgers is so set in his ways that trying to get him to run the offense as designed is not working.

What he did say based on tape study is that Love's skill set is tailored to this offensive system. That doesn't mean that he's going to hit necessarily, but that if he were to hit, Cosell believes that this would be the right offense for him.

Honestly it is a very fair take on things. I said it prior to the draft and post, I still think Love will in the right situation be the best QB in 4 or 5 years picked in the 1st this year. I never for a minute even thought that would be us....but here we are. Scary thing is outside of some FREAK trade or injury he ain't starting till his 3rd season at the earliest, most likely his 4th....

 

[Sunshinepacker]

I think given that this move was made by the organization that had Brett Favre and seemingly drafted Aaron Rodgers out of the blue and unnecessarily, most Packer fans will fall back on the hope that this was a very similar move that will bear a similar outcome.

Very well could be and I doubt any of us complain if it works out in a similar way. So for now I am going to just say that I really like Jordan Love the prospect QB, but really wonder what Gute and MLF think about Rodgers future in Green Bay. Like it or not, this just added another chip to his shoulder.

The comparisons to Favre are facile; Rodgers has not been discussing retirement for the past few years (in fact it's quite the opposite with Rodgers). Fans need to stop using Favre as an excuse for this move. Whether you believe in Love or not, there will be other good QBs available in drafts next year or the year after. There was no need to do this in THIS draft unless Gute just doesn't believe the Packers can overcome the 49ers.

 

[GreenNGold_81]

The comparisons to Favre are facile; Rodgers has not been discussing retirement for the past few years (in fact it's quite the opposite with Rodgers). Fans need to stop using Favre as an excuse for this move. Whether you believe in Love or not, there will be other good QBs available in drafts next year or the year after. There was no need to do this in THIS draft unless Gute just doesn't believe the Packers can overcome the 49ers.

It's not just the 9ers now, it's Tampa, New Orleans, the Vikes seem to be stocking up. That's just the NFC. There's no way IMO that we can beat KC, Baltimore, maybe Tennessee. We seem to be standing still if not regressing this offseason.

 

[PackAttack12]

We seem to be standing still if not regressing this offseason.

As things sit currently, absolutely.

 

[Sunshinepacker]

You're right, but that's been the issue from the beginning. The guys in the locker room, at least the good ones, love Rodgers. That's always been an issue because everyone on top of him has been kind of soft and seem to be at odds with him and fight him rather than try to give him what he needs to supplement his rare talent. TB just traded for Gronkowski and is taking Brady's input into consideration, they get it. KC is surrounding Mahomes with players who elevate him, not the other way around. Meanwhile, Gute basically kicked Nelson out of town and drafted 3 mid round developmental receivers and signed an obvious washed up TE. They treat him like part of the problem when he's covered problems and carried worthless teams for the majority of his career.

Rodgers is set in his ways, but so has the FO and coaches for his entire career. I know who I think will have a better legacy

I agree with everything in this post except for Nelson, he was on the tail end of his career and needed to move on. However, the rest of what you say is irrefutable. I'd rather have a team that recognizes having a great QB and does everything they can to maximize that. I'd include the Saints in that group as well.

 

[GleefulGary]

It's almost as if people have forgotten the draft isn't over yet. Weird.

 

[Sunshinepacker]

It's not just the 9ers now, it's Tampa, New Orleans, the Vikes seem to be stocking up. That's just the NFC. There's no way IMO that we can beat KC, Baltimore, maybe Tennessee. We seem to be standing still if not regressing this offseason.

Packers are, right now, undoubtedly worse than they were last year from a personnel standpoint. Good news is that the players should make a leap in the second year under a new coach. I do think the 49ers, Saints, KC, and Baltimore are all better teams right now than the Packers though.

 

[RepStar15]

So, you want to compare Love to Mahomes? How would you assess the probability that materializes? Quite low, I would say. Mahomes is one of fastest processors you'll ever see, in what he says and what he does. You have squint through rose colored glasses to see that in Love. Mahomes was and is a true natural.

I do not think that is a poor comparison to be honest. Coming out of college the scouting report on Mahomes was that he was talented, but lacked consistency in his game, poor decision making and limited ability to read defenses. That is basically the exact same report on Love. Only love is 21 years old and will have an opportunity to play 2-3 years behind Rodgers to develop. If the earliest he takes the field for Green Bay is 2023, at that time he will only be 24 years old. In contrast, Joe Burrow will be 24 this year. Jordan Love has talent, he needs to learn the game better. Can he do that? I have absolutely not idea, but he is literally in the perfect situation to learn that.

As fans, we want to give Rodgers a weapon and not worry about the future. The problem with that is that it is better to get a QB when you see one you like, then get a QB when you NEED one. Look at the QB needy teams right now. Did the Chargers get better drafting Justin Herbert in the first round? Are the Patriots happy with Jarett Stidham and Brian Hoyer? Is Miami completely confident in Tua? It is a luxury to have Aaron Rodgers and a potential predecessor to him. I can truly only name maybe 3-4 teams that would prefer their current QB room over Rodgers and Jordan Love for the next 3-4 years.

Watch this video to see what I mean. Love needs work and that work is literally everything that Aaron Rodgers does better than anyone. This could be a match made in heaven. Do I want to move on from Rodgers in 3 years? No. If the Packers move on from Rodgers in 3 years will it be the right decision? I can promise this. If Jordan Love does NOT develop into the player they think he could be, the packers will move on with Rodgers and their QB search. Get a 5th-6th for him and move on (hell they got a sixth for Brett Hundley). If Jordan Love HAS developed into the guy they think he could, the packers are the first team in NFL history to seamlessly transition from 3 HOF QBs.

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[Pokerbrat2000]

The comparisons to Favre are facile; Rodgers has not been discussing retirement for the past few years (in fact it's quite the opposite with Rodgers). Fans need to stop using Favre as an excuse for this move. Whether you believe in Love or not, there will be other good QBs available in drafts next year or the year after. There was no need to do this in THIS draft unless Gute just doesn't believe the Packers can overcome the 49ers.

While I agree with this on the surface, I have to point out, I think there is a strong possibility, that we as fans don't have all the facts concerning the relationship between the Packers and Rodgers. Also, there is always the chance that Rodgers himself has privately told the Packer organization something about his future status that we just don't know.

Something isn't as it appears to be for most of us outside the organization IMO, we may eventually find out or maybe never. Obviously, there is also that possibility that it is just what it is, a Football team with an eye on the end of the career of a Packer legend, that they feel will end sooner than many of us thought or want to believe.

 

[GleefulGary]

I think what we have to be cognizant of, is that we are watching the decline of Aaron Rodgers in person.

He's still good, but he isn't what he was. The question the FO has to ask is how much he is going to continue to decline as he gets older.

The concern, I think, is that Rodgers has always been an off schedule QB. In fact, as he's gotten older, it seems he's done more if it. He has gotten injured, and played injured, more frequently.

Rodgers isn't like Brees and Brady. Those two consistently rely on great mechanics, and getting the ball out quick. That's why they're playing til they're in their 40's. Unless Rodgers changes his game, I struggle to see him doing that. His mechanics are declining, and with age, so is his arm talent and body strength. I don't like it, but it is what it is.