Now that the 2020 National Football League (NFL) Draft has come and gone, let’s take a look at some of the biggest storylines that emerged from it. The Green Bay Packers traded picks with the Miami Dolphins, moving up from the 30th position to draft Utah State quarterback Jordan Love with the 26th overall pick in the first round.
At first glance, this move makes no sense. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is a 36-year-old Super Bowl Champion and MVP, who arguably hasn’t lost a step since he started his first game in 2008. Rodgers just led his team – a team that had little to no weapons, a young defense and a first-year head coach – to the National Football Conference (NFC) Championship in the season prior. After losing to the San Francesco 49ers, it seemed that getting some weapons for Rodgers in order to take the next step in the following year would be the team’s top priority.
But before we go on, let’s break down the Jordan Love pick itself. The 21-year-old California native spent three years at Utah State. He threw for 8,600 yards, 60 touchdowns and had a 137.9 average quarterback rating by the end of his junior year.
There were three quarterbacks taken before Love in this year’s draft: Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert, who went to the Bengals, Dolphins, and Chargers, respectively. You may be thinking, if Love is the fourth best quarterback in the draft, why trade up? Well, there are many reasons why the Packers traded up to get Love.
First, the New England Patriots. The Pats traded the 23rd overall pick to the Los Angeles Chargers. In return, they received the 37th and 71st overall picks from Los Angeles. Love was on the board, and they could have tried to trade back up to get him before Green Bay had a chance at pick 30. The other scenario that could go along with the first is that the Packers organization saw something in Love that they just simply could not pass up.
The similarities between Rodgers, Love and even Brett Favre are eerily similar as of right now. Rodgers replaced Favre in 2008. He was 24 years old then and had learned under Favre for the last three years. The Packers had elected not to re-sign Favre, who was 38 years old at the time. In 2018, Rodgers agreed to a four-year, $134 million extension.
Two years have already passed, meaning after 2022, Rodgers’ contract will be up, and he will be 38 years old. By then, Love will be 23 and after sitting under one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game for three seasons, he will be looking to take over. Rodgers was Favre’s backup for three years, and Rodgers was 23 when he got his first start.
As for present day Rodgers, he has yet to comment about the Packers’ first round pick. He might not do so publicly. Why? Well, Favre never said anything about Rodgers being drafted in 2005. He just did what he had to do to try and win another championship.
“At 37, I realized when they drafted [Rodgers] that that was kind of reality setting in. Not that I thought I was going to be replaced right away, but that it’s slowly transitioning out with the old, and in with the new,” Favre said. “I think Aaron will finish somewhere else, that’s my gut.”
If he does, that will be very similar to how Favre left the Packers in 2008 and played for the Jets the next year.
The Packers may have found their new quarterback, but they could still use wide receivers. Odell Beckham Jr. and Evan Engram are potentially available.
Packers fans may not like the pick now, but they could love it in the future.
Photo courtesy of Gerald Herbert
