Everybody who follows the NFL has heard the story by now. The Green Bay Packers turned the draft upside down when they selected Utah State quarterback Jordan Love in the 1st round. This despite having Aaron Rodgers, a sure first-ballot Hall of Famer locked in on a long-term contract and coming off another excellent season. Many seem to think the move was nothing more than a power play by head coach Matt Lafleur and GM Brian Gutekunst to exert more power over their curmudgeony star.
The team has tried to put the usual spin on the pick. That Love was the best player on their board and somebody they feel can have a bright future. All that stuff. This despite several experts having concerns about the QB ever being anything close to what Rodgers is. It’s constantly been insisted that this move was truly what was best for the Packers.
Yet Lafleur found a way to bring that statement into question when recently asked about the draft.
Matt Lafleur makes it seem like Love was a last resort
Basically instead of talking up Love as an elite prospect everybody missed, he made it seem like the quarterback was little more than a last resort. Somebody who was a worst-case scenario because more preferred prospects had gone off the board. Not exactly a ringing endorsement of the guy your team essentially tagged as the heir apparent to one of the best quarterbacks of this generation.
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The Packers have essentially painted themselves into a corner. If Love replaces Rodgers and fails, it will be regarded as a terrible pick. If Rodgers continues to perform well and Love never sees the field, it will be regarded as a terrible pick. The only way this move will be seen as a success is if the kid ends up becoming a top performer at his position. That’s like asking a guy to walk a tight rope between two skyscrapers. Not impossible but not exactly ideal.