Packers 2020 Draft Grades: Analysis for every pick in each round
Round 1 (26): Jordan Love, QB, Utah State
This is a tough pick to grade. Anyone who has read my work over the past couple of months will know I’m a fan of Jordan Love. I have no problem with the Packers deciding to draft him. It’s a risk, but it’s one every team has to take at some point. If Love develops into the quarterback he can become and the one the Packers think he will, this will be a home-run, A-plus pick.
However, it could also go in the opposite direction. What if Love is never ready to become a starter in the NFL, let alone the face of the franchise?
Selecting Love is an investment in the future, which is understandable. It’s good that Brian Gutekunst and Matt LaFleur are looking to sustain success beyond Aaron Rodgers’ career. Using these next few years to develop a quarterback behind Rodgers could set them up for over a decade of success down the line.
But we won’t know the answer for some time. Will Love become a franchise quarterback? Nobody knows.
What we can analyze is how this impacts the Packers in 2020. Selecting Love meant passing up on LSU linebacker Patrick Queen who could’ve been a star in Mike Pettine’s defense. It also meant passing on top wide receivers such as Clemson’s Tee Higgins and Baylor’s Denzel Mims.
If Love becomes a star, this will be remembered as an outstanding, bold move by Gutekunst. That’s why it’s so hard to give a grade. The fact is the Packers missed the opportunity to load up on offense with a first-round receiver. That’s why I give this move only a C.