Noah Viegut

THE MIRROR

The Green Bay Packers drafted quarterback Jordan Love with the 26th pick in the 2020 NFL (National Football League) draft. This came as a shock to many Packer fans and current Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

The Green Bay Packers finished the 2019-2020 NFL season with 13 wins and 3 losses and were one win away from the Super Bowl. Many Packer fans thought that if we gave Rodgers some more weapons to throw to, we could be right back in the Super Bowl hunt next year.

On April 25 the first round of the NFL draft was held virtually and 32 college football stars were drafted into the NFL. This draft was projected to be the strongest wide receiver draft in history with names like CeeDee Lamb, Henry Ruggs, Jerry Judy, and Tee Higgins all being drafted with the top 20 picks.

It was thought by most Packer fans that they would be selecting a receiver or a lineman,  someone who could help out star QB Rodgers. But instead, the Packers selected QB Jordan Love out of Utah State.

Love had a phenomenal season in his sophomore year in college but after his head coach left, along with many of the offensive players, he had a rough junior year.

Many professional NFL scouts have described him as the most physically talented QB in the draft but the decision making isn’t quite at the level they would want it to be. They recommended that he go to a team with a smart veteran QB where he could learn for a while before playing.

The Love pick mirrors what the Packers did in 2005, drafting Rodgers with the 24th pick when Brett Favre was the current star Packers QB. But there are some key differences.

Rodgers was expected to be the number one pick in the 2005 draft but he fell all the way down to 24th where the Packers picked him, and star QB Favre was going in and out of retirement every year.

Love was assumed to fall all the way to pick number 30, where the Packers were but was selected 26th after the Packers traded up to get him but Rodgers shows no sign of wanting to retire any time soon.

The immediate reaction from the Packers fans was not good but only time will tell if it was the right choice.