After the draft, the Green Bay Packers filled out their quarterback depth chart by signing Kyron Drones out of Virginia Tech. He joins a QB room occupied by Desmond Ridder and Kyle McCord behind starter Jordan Love. A playmaker with his legs outside the pocket, Drones fits the Malik Willis prototype the Packers had so much success with at the QB2 position over the past two seasons.
Apparently, he wasn't their first choice. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that Green Bay eyed LSU's Garrett Nussmeier as a potential undrafted free agent signing. That's rather interesting given Nussmeier's relative lack of athleticism and running ability.
It's also a moot point. The Kansas City Chiefs swiped Nussmeier with the 249th overall pick of the draft, eight picks and about half an hour before the final selection was made.
Down senior season made Garrett Nussmeier buy-low Packers target
The Chiefs were fortunate to land Nussmeier themselves. A projected third- or fourth-rounder leading up to the draft, his stock fell due in part to oblique pain that hampered him through his senior season. At the NFL Combine, a cyst on Nussmeier's spine, which pressed against a nerve, was revealed to be the underlying cause of the pain.
Although any procedure required to remove the cyst would be minimal, requiring a two- to three-week recovery timeframe, it was evidently enough to scare teams away.
The Packers hoped Nussmeier would make it through all 257 picks. Despite a lackluster final year in college, he was still the passer who, when healthy as a junior, threw for 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns. In 2025, he threw for only 1,927 yards and 12 touchdowns in nine games, while his yards per attempt dropped from 7.7 to 6.7.
As a pocket passer, Nussmeier would not fit the Willis mold. He isn't even a match for Ridder, as far as overall athletic ability is concerned. That goes against what the Packers are known to be looking for in their backup quarterback.
At the same time, however, he probably has more NFL upside than Drones. NFL.com's Chad Reuter ranked Drones 16th among undrafted QB prospects. His effectiveness at Virginia Tech was predicated on his legs. Last year, he completed only 56.5 percent of his passes for the Hokies (58.3 percent in his career). Through the air, Drones averaged 160 yards per contest.
The Packers nonetheless took a clear liking to his overall game, bringing him for a top-30 visit ahead of the draft. In training camp, Drones should compete with McCord for the QB3 spot behind Love and Ridder.
Of course, it's not like Nussmeier would be doing a whole lot more than that as a rookie. If anything, it's only irksome that Green Bay came so close to having a chance at their guy before Kansas City cut ahead of them in the lunch line.
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