2020 Packers first round pick: Jordan Love, QB

[GleefulGary]

I watched this game for the first time this morning from start to finish, and let me tell you right now from a guy who hated the move for Love...it was highly impressive.

To your point, he was going up against as impressive a defensive unit as you’ll find in college football. But he was making as many plays as he could, given what he had to work with. Running game was non existent for most of the game, pressure coming at his face consistent, receivers dropping balls including a deep post that was a walk in touchdown that was dropped.

He clearly has a lot of tools though. He has arm talent that cannot be coached. It’s God given. He’s an effortless thrower of the football. He can loft it, but has some impressive zip when needed to get it over the top of linebackers, but beat the high coverage. I was impressed with his ability to stand in the pocket and drive some balls down the field against that defense.

Couple of things that really stood out:

- had the awareness to catch LSU with too many men on the field with a quick snap (any Packer fans seen that before?) and not only that, dropped a dime down the sideline.

- the ability is there to throw from multiple platforms, and the ball wind up in a decent spot for receivers. It isn’t elite, but it can be tuned into an elite trait.

- they were pushing the ball down the field, and he takes the snap, immediately looks to the left to shift the single high safety, then launches it down the right sideline.

Now that play resulted in a underthrown ball that was intercepted by a quality DB, but there are things to like a lot.

Things I don’t like? Footwork leaves something to be desired, undisciplined too often, antsy in the pocket at times (fair against LSU). He had some bad interceptions, the last two of which he was just trying to do too much in a lopsided game.

But yeah. You mentioned it before. If you watch his tape against an insane LSU team and aren’t impressed, something is wrong with your eyes. Looking at his numbers in a box score does no justice for some of the things he was able to do in that game.

There's a lot that can be fixed, but the base talent there is as good as anybody coming out recently.

A year or two of sitting, working with Rodgers and LaFleur, will be very good for him.

 

[jhawk008]

There's a lot that can be fixed, but the base talent there is as good as anybody coming out recently.

A year or two of sitting, working with Rodgers and LaFleur, will be very good for him.

You can't teach instincts tho. And the head scratching throws NORMALLY don't go away even when given time. Look at Winston, look at Josh Allen still overthrowing people. I get it people want to be excited about the pick. In trying to be optimistic at times... but then you have to think, is Jordan Love gonna be a QB that we ABSOLUTELY cannot find in the draft over the next 2 years that we had to snag him now. His skill set is so far and away great that we're not gonna find it again...... I say hell no, you can find another QB with his skill set the way the college guys are now

 

[GleefulGary]

You can't teach instincts tho. And the head scratching throws NORMALLY don't go away even when given time. Look at Winston, look at Josh Allen still overthrowing people. I get it people want to be excited about the pick. In trying to be optimistic at times... but then you have to think, is Jordan Love gonna be a QB that we ABSOLUTELY cannot find in the draft over the next 2 years that we had to snag him now. His skill set is so far and away great that we're not gonna find it again...... I say hell no, you can find another QB with his skill set the way the college guys are now

Watch the LSU game and get back to me on his "instincts".

 

[jhawk008]

Watch the LSU game and get back to me on his "instincts".

Read what I wrote again. Then answer my question

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

is Jordan Love gonna be a QB that we ABSOLUTELY cannot find in the draft over the next 2 years that we had to snag him now

That is one of the best questions that one might ask. Look at all the QB's picked over the last 15 years. Is there an exact science to it? Some teams have been trying for decades to find a FHOF QB and burn through picks, trades and Free agents trying.

So possibly, could you see a situation where the answer to your question is "This was a guy that the Packers didn't think they would have a shot at now and potentially not anytime soon, so they decided it was worth the investment"

I don't remember the exact number, but the Packers have averaged somewhere in the neighborhood of the 22nd pick in the last 20 or so drafts. That is not an easy position to find the next Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers. As a Packer fan, I can only hope Love is that 3rd generational QB in a row. I also can't help but think that is what Gute, MLF and the Packer organization thought too.

 

[jhawk008]

That is one of the best questions that one might ask. Look at all the QB's picked over the last 15 years. Is there an exact science to it? Some teams have been trying for decades to find a FHOF QB and burn through picks, trades and Free agents trying.

So possibly, could you see a situation where the answer to your question is "This was a guy that the Packers didn't think they would have a shot at now and potentially not anytime soon, so they decided it was worth the investment"

I don't remember the exact number, but the Packers have averaged somewhere in the neighborhood of the 22nd pick in the last 20 or so drafts. That is not an easy position to find the next Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers. As a Packer fan, I can only hope Love is that 3rd generational QB in a row. I also can't help but think that is what Gute, MLF and the Packer organization thought too.

Too many unknowns in every explanation of the pick. Which should tell in the end it was a poor pick. Rodgers was a potential #1 overall pick who fell, the value in that pick was just too great to pass. Love is a 4-6th best QB in a draft where everyone has question marks.

I hope he turns out great and I'm eating crow. However when you gotta go to a bunch of "ifs" and "hopefully" then that tells you all you need to know about the pick

 

[CanadaCheese]

That is one of the best questions that one might ask. Look at all the QB's picked over the last 15 years. Is there an exact science to it? Some teams have been trying for decades to find a FHOF QB and burn through picks, trades and Free agents trying.

So possibly, could you see a situation where the answer to your question is "This was a guy that the Packers didn't think they would have a shot at now and potentially not anytime soon, so they decided it was worth the investment"

I don't remember the exact number, but the Packers have averaged somewhere in the neighborhood of the 22nd pick in the last 20 or so drafts. That is not an easy position to find the next Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers. As a Packer fan, I can only hope Love is that 3rd generational QB in a row. I also can't help but think that is what Gute, MLF and the Packer organization thought too.

Very good observation
Drafting is part science...part art....part luck
Will Love be great, good, serviceable, or suck......who knows.... he might not even ever play
Every year there’s usually a few “wow guys” Burrow and Tua were this years crop but Love really wasn’t even wow to most people ...... small school, tons of interceptions, questionable decision making , etc etc.....but who knows
The problem with the selection was timing and situation..... knowing we have a bevy of immediate needs and knowing he won’t see the field for 3 or 4 years why would we burn this pick in 2020 since it in the very best of cases it gives ZERO for 3 seasons and then we’d only have 1-2 more before the rookie numbers go away
It was not very well thought out for a multitude of reasons

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

when you gotta go to a bunch of "ifs" and "hopefully" then that tells you all you need to know about the pick

So when don't you have to go to those "ifs and hopefully's", in regards to a drafted QB? Do you not think Tua doesn't comes with question marks? Did Trubisky come with question marks? Go through the history of the NFL draft.

Beyond that, lets say the Packers keep winning under Rodgers, do you think a sure thing at QB will just drop into their laps in each of the next 3 drafts, especially if they are picking in the 20's?

I totally get that the timing of this seemed wrong and that most of us wished that the picks would have been used on positions of need . I was one of the people on Thursday night screaming about that aspect of it. Once I stepped away from the cliff, looked at some film of Love, heard Gutes comments and read what other scouts were saying, the pick made more sense.

All that said, I the couch GM would have preferred what I would view as instant gratification and a pick like Patrick Queen, but I totally understand the excitement that Gute and MLF have about Love and understand why they did what they did.

I also can see a scenario where we didn't draft Love and in 7 years the Packers are looking like the Bears and starting a new QB almost every season. Meanwhile Love is tearing it up in New England on his way to Canton. I can imagine there would be some here saying how stupid the Packers were in 2020 for letting Love slip by them in the draft and some of those would be the same people that are now saying how stupid it was to draft him.

 

[GleefulGary]

Read what I wrote again. Then answer my question

I disagree on him lacking instincts like you're saying. And yes, QB's have improved decision-making in the NFL.

 

[GleefulGary]

Too many unknowns in every explanation of the pick. Which should tell in the end it was a poor pick. Rodgers was a potential #1 overall pick who fell, the value in that pick was just too great to pass. Love is a 4-6th best QB in a draft where everyone has question marks.

I hope he turns out great and I'm eating crow. However when you gotta go to a bunch of "ifs" and "hopefully" then that tells you all you need to know about the pick

The premise that Love was at best, the 4th to 6th QB in the draft is false. Every team, grades differently.

Rodgers was a potential #1 pick, who clearly didn't go #1. Some teams had him #1, some teams didn't.

I know for sure Greg Cosell, for example, had Love above Herbert. Might have had him above Tua, but I cannot recall.

 

[Fredrik87]

Watch the LSU game and get back to me on his "instincts".

He went 15 for 30 with 3 interceptions to 0 TD's on his way to earning a 66.4 QB rating in that LSU game, if anything it should be used as a argument against him.

 

[Dantés]

He went 15 for 30 with 3 interceptions to 0 TD's on his way to earning a 66.4 QB rating in that LSU game, if anything it should be used as a argument against him.

Did you go watch it, or did you just look up the box score?

 

[CanadaCheese]

He went 15 for 30 with 3 interceptions to 0 TD's on his way to earning a 66.4 QB rating in that LSU game, if anything it should be used as a argument against him.

“He had an off day but the potentials were undeniable”. .....
To be fair he was up against LSU with his squad completely overmatched.....hell Mahommes or Brady probably wouldn’t have done allot better
Time to forget about the draft.... it’s over it done..... let’s hope the world gets back to normal and a 2020 season can show who on this board was brilliant and who was just plain stupid

 

[Dantés]

Per Ian Rapoport, the Packers had trade up offers in place at various spots in the back of round one specifically to get Love. So throw out the idea that they pivoted when Aiyuk came off the board. They really, really liked Love and wanted to make sure they got him.

 

[GleefulGary]

He went 15 for 30 with 3 interceptions to 0 TD's on his way to earning a 66.4 QB rating in that LSU game, if anything it should be used as a argument against him.

I don't see how anybody could use that game as an argument against him.

 

[CanadaCheese]

Per Ian Rapoport, the Packers had trade up offers in place at various spots in the back of round one specifically to get Love. So throw out the idea that they pivoted when Aiyuk came off the board. They really, really liked Love and wanted to make sure they got him.

Awesome..... what is the point or implication?
Reading into it is they were planning to take him all along which is even more disturbing.

 

[PackAttack12]

Per Ian Rapoport, the Packers had trade up offers in place at various spots in the back of round one specifically to get Love. So throw out the idea that they pivoted when Aiyuk came off the board. They really, really liked Love and wanted to make sure they got him.

Which was my initial takeaway. They were dead set on Love and never had the intention of taking a WR. Which is fine. Hope it works out.

For the record, I do not think Love would have made it to 30. Gute either knew that, or he thought you know, it’s only gonna take me a 4th to guarantee we get him, which will look like a steal in a few years.

 

[PackAttack12]

Awesome..... what is the point or implication?
Reading into it is they were planning to take him all along which is even more disturbing.

You can disagree with their plan, but at least they had one.

 

[CanadaCheese]

You can disagree with their plan, but at least they had one.

I guess...

 

[Dantés]

Which was my initial takeaway. They were dead set on Love and never had the intention of taking a WR. Which is fine. Hope it works out.

For the record, I do not think Love would have made it to 30. Gute either knew that, or he thought you know, it’s only gonna take me a 4th to guarantee we get him, which will look like a steal in a few years.

There was a lot of smoke last year that they liked Drew Lock. The Broncos traded up to #42 and got in front of GB to take him. I have to wonder if after that experience, the Packers felt they needed to be aggressive. If there was any sense in the league that GB might take Love at #30, then the late 20's would have been a prime spot to move into and take Love.

 

[CanadaCheese]

There was a lot of smoke last year that they liked Drew Lock. The Broncos traded up to #42 and got in front of GB to take him. I have to wonder if after that experience, the Packers felt they needed to be aggressive. If there was any sense in the league that GB might take Love at #30, then the late 20's would have been a prime spot to move into and take Love.

If that is the case the Packer brass isnt enamored with Love or anyone else but seem to be in a frantic way to get a replacement for AR at any cost...bizzare

 

[GleefulGary]

I would assume the Packers had some players they would've taken over Love, and once they were all off the board, they felt they had to trade up to get Love.

We shall see if that was the correct move or not.

 

[AmishMafia]

Per Ian Rapoport, the Packers had trade up offers in place at various spots in the back of round one specifically to get Love. So throw out the idea that they pivoted when Aiyuk came off the board. They really, really liked Love and wanted to make sure they got him.

If teams are trying to trade up with the Pack for Love, they probably assumed they were also working with the other teams ahead of the Pack as well. Knowing the Packers were checking closely into Love, other teams knew they would have to get in front of the Pack to get him. Gute probably had to trade up to get him.

I don't see how anybody could use that game as an argument against him.

Easy.

• Don't watch the game.
• Just look at the box score.
• Pretend it was Utah state that was so talented 14 players were selected in the draft and LSU only had 2.

 

[Dantés]

If teams are trying to trade up with the Pack for Love, they probably assumed they were also working with the other teams ahead of the Pack as well. Knowing the Packers were checking closely into Love, other teams knew they would have to get in front of the Pack to get him. Gute probably had to trade up to get him.

Yeah, it could be. We will never know. If Love hits and he's the next franchise QB, no one will remember pick #136, or care if they do.

 

[Fredrik87]

Did you go watch it, or did you just look up the box score?

I did both I looked up the box score and it looked pretty bad so I went to see what he did that gleefulgary thought looked good and saw 3 interceptions 2 of which were just horrible decisions and another that was a just a really bad throw.
I saw him fail to score a TD in 3 attempts from inside the LSU 10 after his D set him up.
And I saw him fumble a snap though I don't blame him to much for that as he didn't appear ready for it.
None of that impressed me.