Packers: Pros of cons of drafting a quarterback early in 2020 NFL Draft
What are the pros and cons of drafting a quarterback in the early rounds this offseason?
Aaron Rodgers is still one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and potentially has many years ahead of him in Green Bay. But he’ll turn 37 years old in the 2020 season.
The question GM Brian Gutekunst will need to consider this offseason and in the future, is when is the right time to look for Rodgers’ successor?
Rodgers will still be the starting QB for a few years at least, and his contract just about guarantees that, but Green Bay could still decide to look for their quarterback of the future.
“I was raised by Ron Wolf and Ted Thompson, so if there’s a quarterback we think can play that’s a starter in the National Football League, we’ll never pass that up,” Gutekunst said on Friday. “But I’m really glad 12 is back there.”
Gutekunst then quickly shifted back to his excitement to see how Rodgers can play in Year 2 of Matt LaFleur’s system. So the answer is yes, the Packers would be willing to take a quarterback, but Rodgers will remain the guy for a while yet.
So let’s imagine a QB the Packers love is still on the board at No. 30. Maybe Jordan Love or Justin Herbert falls. What would be the pros and cons of making the pick?
Pros
It’s always best to find a quarterback when you don’t need one as opposed to when you do. It’s worked out perfectly for the Kansas City Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes, who they could sit for a year under Alex Smith. Smith guided them to a third straight playoff appearance before Mahomes took over in 2017.
If the Packers drafted the quarterback they believed could eventually replace Rodgers, he’d have the luxury of being able to sit for a few years, develop his skills and learn from one of the best to ever play the game.
Rodgers spent his first three seasons backing up Brett Favre. A new QB could have the same benefit playing under Rodgers.
Jimmy Garoppolo is on his way to the Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers. He spent his first three seasons in New England backing up Tom Brady.
Many quarterbacks are rushed into starting jobs early in their careers, often before they’re ready. But with Rodgers starting, a rookie QB could come in and learn before eventually taking the job.
Cons
Of course, if only it were that simple. There’s no guarantee an early-round pick would become a future star no matter how many years they have to develop before starting. The Favre-to-Rodgers transition is rare.
Elite quarterbacks don’t grow on trees. The Chiefs hit the jackpot with Mahomes, but many other teams haven’t done the same. The Chicago Bears look to have swung and missed on Mitch Trubisky in the same draft class.
Also, we’re talking about a Packers team that fell just short of the Super Bowl. Rodgers is a Hall-of-Fame talent. Deal with the future at a later date. Now is about winning while they still have an all-world quarterback.
By using a first- or second-round pick on a QB, the Packers would have one less draft choice available to help them in the next couple of seasons. An argument can certainly be made that they need to use every resource available to surround Rodgers with talent for one last Super Bowl push over the next two or three seasons, then enter a rebuilding stage once he retires.
Overall
In a perfect world, the Packers will find Rodgers’ successor in the next couple of years and, like the previous two starting QBs in Green Bay, he’ll put together a Hall-of-Fame career. That’s wishful thinking, though.
There are pros and cons on both sides, but it actually should fall somewhere in between. This offseason, I don’t think the Packers should actively search for the successor. However, if a QB they absolutely love and believe can become a future star falls into their range of the draft, then it would make sense to pick him, even if that requires trading up a few spots.
That said, Gutekunst would need to be convinced the rookie QB had All-Pro potential. If not, they should just wait it out and maybe take a mid-round flier later on.
If a QB they love falls, consider taking him. But if not, just focus on surrounding Rodgers with as much talent as possible and continue to go all-in for 2020.