2020 NFL Draft: Potential trade partner emerges for Bears in first round
Aaron Rodgers doesn't have to like it, but the Packers made a smart move drafting his future successor Thursday night.
And I say that without being convinced Jordan Love will be a good NFL quarterback.
No one respects Rodgers' talent more than me. I've seen him do mean things to the Chicago Bears twice a year for the last 12 seasons. But I've also seen evidence that his window is starting to close. And the Packers see it too.
That's why I made the case for the Packers to draft a quarterback this year. I didn't necessarily argue that they should do it in the first round, but I didn't have a problem if they did. And, ultimately, when I had to make the Packers' pick in NBC Sports Chicago's Top 50 mock draft, I went with Utah State quarterback Jordan Love.
It's the fit that makes so much sense. Love is far from a perfect prospect. My No. 3 quarterback this year, Love has top 10 talent, but his decision-making and instincts are questionable. He needs time to develop in the NFL and he absolutely needed to land in a place that could allow for that happen.
[MORE: Read Adam Hoge's pre-draft analysis on Jordan Love]
New Orleans and Green Bay were the best fits for Love. Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst saw the opportunity and pounced, moving up from No. 30 to No. 26 to land the guy they hope takes Rodgers' job.
Ideally, that won't happen for two or even three years. First of all, Rodgers' contract won't allow it to happen sooner – realistically the earliest the Packers can get out of it is 2022 – but Love needs the time to develop too. Much like when Green Bay drafted Rodgers to be Favre's replacement in 2005, I don't necessarily expect the incumbent to embrace the idea of grooming his successor, but that doesn't mean Love can't learn from a Hall-of-Famer who plays with a similar style.
Rodgers' signs of decline are subtle, and he has at least two more years of good, if not great, football left in him. But I applaud the Packers for being proactive with the most important position in sports. They know what the payoff of that strategy can look like.
Perhaps this move seemed unnecessary now, but Gutekunst had to operate as if he's not going to be in prime position to draft Rodgers' replacement two years from now. There's enough talent on the roster that Green Bay shouldn't be drafting in the top 10 anytime soon. But Thursday night, they had a project with top 10 talent fall to them in the draft. Now, when it is time to move on from Rodgers, they will ideally have his replacement ready to go.
On the flip side, there's no guarantee the Packers return to the playoffs next season. They've made very few additions this offseason to improve their roster and they badly need a talented wide receiver or tight end for Rodgers to throw the ball to. In that regard, I understand the frustration from both Rodgers and the fans with this pick. By looking ahead to the future, Gutekunst has ignored 2020 and it wouldn't be surprising to see the Packers take a step back this season after winning 13 games last year.
That said, the Packers didn't necessarily have a great receiving option available to them at No. 30. When Oklahoma's CeeDee Lamb was still available at No. 17, I was starting to think Green Bay might make a move up for him, but then the Cowboys grabbed Lamb (Rodgers must have loved Mike McCarthy drafting a receiver in the first round). Jalen Reagor and Justin Jefferson came off the board at No. 21 to the Eagles and No. 22 to the Vikings, respectively. And then the 49ers traded up to No. 25 for Arizona State wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Perhaps LSU linebacker Patrick Queen would have made sense, but he ended up going at No. 28 to the Ravens, two picks ahead of where the Packers were originally slotted. That means they would have had to trade up for him too. The reality is that Green Bay was in a tough draft slot at No. 30 and at some point it made sense to trade up to address the most important position on the field – quarterback.
Look, there's no guarantee it all works out. Love has flaws. But he has plenty of talent to succeed if he's developed correctly. And he landed with a franchise that seems to have a good eye for Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks. Will it be awkward at times? Sure. But it worked for the Packers once. And it could work again.
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