Packers Replace Love in PFF’s 2020 NFL Redraft

Instead of taking the quarterback they didn't need, the Green Bay Packers wound up with a productive receiver.

Author:
Bill Huber
Updated:
Jun 22, 2022 4:15 PM EDT
Original:
Jun 22, 2022

In this story:

Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has made some strong moves in the first rounds of his NFL Drafts.

In 2018, he traded down and then back up to get cornerback Jaire Alexander and an additional first-round pick.

In 2019, he bet on potential by selecting outside linebacker Rashan Gary, then used the extra first-round pick on safety Darnell Savage.

In 2021, Gutekunst drafted cornerback Eric Stokes.

That’s four starters. Darned good ones, at that.

Yeah, but what about 2020? With the top receivers off the board, Gutekunst selected quarterback Jordan Love. Moreover, he gave away a fourth-round pick to move up to select Love, who was coming off a mistake-prone final season at Utah State.

It’s easy to criticize draft results. Hindsight is always 20/20. But this was foresight. While Gutekunst didn’t agree at the time, using a first-round pick on a quarterback after coming off a trip to the NFC Championship Game indeed was a “waste” of a draft pick. Love has played meaningful snaps in two games. With Rodgers out with COVID, Love failed to deliver in a winnable game at the Kansas City Chiefs. Then, in the finale at the Detroit Lions, he replaced Rodgers for the second half of a loss to the lowly Lions.

Love completed 58.1 percent of his passes with two touchdowns, three interceptions and a 68.7 passer rating. Of the 50 quarterbacks who threw at least Love’s 62 attempts, Love finished 46th in passer rating, 44th in completion percentage and 47th in interception percentage. Rodgers threw four interceptions in 531 attempts. Love tossed three interceptions in 62 attempts. That’s one fewer interception in 469 fewer attempts.

There are no mulligans in the NFL Draft. Good thing, or the Packers might not have landed Gary or Elgton Jenkins in 2019.

Nonetheless, a 2020 NFL redraft by Pro Football Focus hints at what might have been. In it, the Packers wound up with receiver Darnell Mooney.

“If the Love selection was what spurred Aaron Rodgers to two consecutive MVP trophies, then maybe the Packers make the same decision again,” PFF’s Ben Linsey wrote. “However, with Rodgers fresh off a new extension, there’s no path for Love to make an impact on his rookie deal, barring injury. And there is a gaping roster hole at wide receiver, even more so than back when they still had Davante Adams in 2020.”

A fifth-round pick, Mooney might not be the No. 1 receiver the Packers need going into 2022 but he’s been productive. In two seasons dealing with the Bears’ mess at quarterback, Mooney has 142 receptions for 1,686 yards and eight touchdowns. He is third in the draft class in receptions and fifth in receiving yards.

Imagine what he might have done with Rodgers slinging the football.

Two more receivers went after Green Bay’s slot in the redraft. Jerry Jeudy, who went No. 15 to Denver, wound up going to Tennessee at No. 29 in the redraft. Gabriel Davis, a fourth-round pick by Buffalo, went No. 32 to Kansas City in the redraft.

Stuck with Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback in Denver, Jeudy has 90 receptions for 1,323 yards and three touchdowns. Davis has only 70 receptions for 1,148 yards and 13 touchdowns but destroyed the Chiefs with eight receptions for 201 yards and four touchdowns in last year’s playoff shootout.

Former USC offensive tackle Austin Jackson, the 18th pick, has struggled with the Dolphins but the Packers’ superb touch with offensive linemen might have led to a different outcome.

In the real draft, after Justin Jefferson went to Minnesota at No. 22 and Brandon Aiyuk went to San Francisco at No. 25, Green Bay traded from No. 30 to No. 26 to select Love. Had they taken the next-best receiver, they could have selected Tee Higgins. The 33rd overall pick, he has 141 receptions for 1,999 yards and 12 touchdowns. He went ninth in the redraft.

Instead, the Packers have Love, whose career is going nowhere fast with Rodgers’ career rebirth and his own mediocre play.

“I think Jordan’s doing a great job of really taking ownership of this offense,” coach Matt LaFleur said last month. “And it’s a great opportunity for him. He hasn’t probably gotten the number of reps that I don’t think anybody would like. So, it’s just maximizing those opportunities, and he’s got a great opportunity to get the majority of the reps out there throughout the course of OTAs.”

How Packers View Roster Headed Into Training Camp

The Green Bay Packers frequently split into two groups - starters and key players on one side of the field and rookies and bottom-of-the-depth-chart players on the other side. Here is what we learned during those practices.

Quarterbacks

Danny Etling throws a pass during OTAs. (Photo by USA Today Sports)

Veteran locks: Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love.

Rookie locks: None.

Veterans fighting for a spot: Danny Etling.

Extra point: The idea that the release of Kurt Benkert ensures Love’s spot on the roster is ridiculous. Love’s spot on the roster was secure, anyway. Etling, who like Benkert entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2018, is the only other quarterback on the roster and, thus, is the front-runner for a spot on the practice squad. For what it’s worth, the Packers took four quarterbacks into training camp last year and there is one open spot on the roster.

Running Backs

Patrick Taylor rushed 11 times for 53 yards and one touchdown at Detroit. (Photo by USA Today Sports)

Veteran locks: Aaron Jones, AJ Dillon.

Rookie locks: None.

Veterans fighting for a spot: Kylin Hill (perhaps PUP following last year’s torn ACL), Patrick Taylor.

Extra point: Taylor’s excellent performance in Week 18 at Detroit could give him the upper hand in the race to be the No. 3 behind Jones and Dillon. When all three were absent for the final week of OTAs, undrafted rookie BJ Baylor ran with the “starters” and undrafted rookie Tyler Goodson worked with the backups. In college, Baylor was the better runner while Goodson was the better receiver.

Receivers

Samori Toure at OTAs. (Photo by USA Today Sports)

Veteran locks: Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, Sammy Watkins, Amari Rodgers.

Rookie locks: Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs.

Veterans fighting for a spot: Juwann Winfree, Malik Taylor.

Extra point: This is going to be fun. There have been years in which it seemed possible the Packers would take seven receivers into the regular season but it hasn’t happened. Could it happen this year if, for instance, Watkins wins a starting job and the three draft picks (or undrafted rookie Danny Davis) show they’re worthy? And don’t forget Winfree, who is coming off another strong series of offseason practices.

Tight Ends

Could Josiah Deguara (left) and Dominique Dafney (right) be vying for one spot? (Photo by USA Today Sports)

Veteran locks: Robert Tonyan (perhaps PUP following last year’s torn ACL), Marcedes Lewis, Tyler Davis (especially if Tonyan starts the season on PUP).

Rookie locks: None.

Veterans fighting for a spot: Josiah Deguara, Dominique Dafney, Alize Mack, Eli Wolf.

Extra point: It was interesting during the first week of OTAs to see Dafney working with the starters on one end of the field and Deguara, the former third-round pick, with the backups on the other end of the field. They are players with similar skill-sets. Do the Packers need both on the roster, or is that role so important that they need both on the roster? The coaches have raved about Davis, who took the first-team reps as Tonyan rehabbed on the side.

Offensive Line

Jake Hanson has a shot for a roster spot at center. (Photo by USA Today Sports)

Veteran locks: LT David Bakhtiari, LG Jon Runyan, C Josh Myers, RG Royce Newman, OT Yosh Nijman, OL Elgton Jenkins (perhaps PUP following last year’s torn ACL).

Rookie locks: G/T Sean Rhyan, OL Zach Tom.

Veterans fighting for a spot: C/G Jake Hanson, T/G Cole Van Lanen, C/G Michal Menet.

Extra point: For years, Aaron Rodgers has correctly pointed out that being the backup center is a sure-fire ticket to the roster. So, that will make Hanson vs. Tom one of the key training camp battles for picking the final 53. Hanson, a sixth-round pick in 2020, has played six snaps from scrimmage in five games over two seasons. Tom was a fourth-round pick this year. Without many pure offensive tackles on the roster, the development of seventh-round pick Rasheed Walker will be worth watching, too.

Defensive Line

Devonte Wyatt (left) and T.J. Slaton (right). (Photo by USA Today Sports)

Veteran locks: Kenny Clark, Dean Lowry, Jarran Reed, TJ Slaton.

Rookie locks: Devonte Wyatt.

Veterans fighting for a spot: Jack Heflin.

Extra point: In all the world, is there an easier 53-man projection than Clark, Lowry, Reed, Slaton and Wyatt being the top five entering the season, with Heflin and seventh-rounder Jonathan Ford being a potential sixth man? Then again, the Packers could release Lowry and create almost $6 million of additional cap space if any of the bottom-of-the-depth-chart prospects have strong camps.

Outside Linebackers

Preston Smith signed a contract extension this offseason. (Photo by USA Today Sports)

Veteran locks: Rashan Gary, Preston Smith.

Rookie locks: None.

Veterans fighting for a spot: Randy Ramsey, Jonathan Garvin, Tipa Galeai, La’Darius Hamilton.

Extra point: The Packers have a lot of options. Are any of them good? Ramsey might have been a key player last season had he not suffered a season-ending ankle injury during training camp. He expects to be ready for Day 1 of camp next month. Garvin and Galeai played a lot of snaps last year, and Hamilton played, too. During minicamp, Galeai and Hamilton were the No. 2 tandem. Fifth-rounder Kingsley Enagbare was the main addition to the group and is a good bet to make the 53.

Inside Linebackers

Ray Wilborn will push for a roster spot at inside linebacker. (Photo by USA Today Sports)

Veteran locks: De’Vondre Campbell, Krys Barnes.

Rookie locks: Quay Walker.

Veterans fighting for a spot: Ray Wilborn, Ty Summers, Isaiah McDuffie.

Extra point: What was the inspiration for this story? The mandatory minicamp. For the most part, the No. 1 tandem all offseason was last year’s staring pair of Campbell and Barnes. At times, the Packers went with Campbell, the returning All-Pro, and Walker, the first-round pick. When they went that direction, the No. 2 tandem was Barnes and Wilborn. It was interesting to see Wilborn, an undrafted free agent in 2020 who spent all last season on the practice squad, working ahead of Summers, a three-year backup who was fourth in special-teams snaps last season, and McDuffie, a 2021 sixth-round pick who was seventh in special-teams snaps.

Cornerbacks

Rico Gafford played receiver for the Raiders the past few seasons. (Photo by USA Today Sports)

Veteran locks: Jaire Alexander, Rasul Douglas, Eric Stokes, Keisean Nixon.

Rookie locks: None.

Veterans fighting for a spot: Shemar Jean-Charles, Rico Gafford, Kabion Ento.

Extra point: Alexander, Douglas and Stokes will be as good a starting trio as there is in the NFL. But injuries happen and depth is a necessity. The Packers have the depth of an old-school “See Dick Run” book. Nixon spent the spring as the next man up. In three seasons with the Raiders, he played 273 snaps on defense and broke up one pass. Nixon, Jean-Charles, a fifth-round last year who barely played as a rookie, and Gafford, who was moved from receiver, are slot defenders. The door is open for Ento, who will be participating in his fourth training camp but still hasn’t played in a game.

Safeties

Shawn Davis is poised to earn a roster spot. (Photo by USA Today Sports)

Veteran locks: Adrian Amos, Darnell Savage, Shawn Davis.

Rookie locks: None.

Veterans fighting for a spot: Innis Gaines, Vernon Scott.

Extra point: By comparison to safety, cornerback is loaded with depth. Scott (89 career defensive snaps, all in 2020), Gaines (zero), Davis (zero) and the seventh-rounder Tariq Carpenter (zero, obviously) have played 89 career snaps of defense in the NFL, including zero last year. The Packers signed Davis, a fifth-round pick by Indianapolis last year, to their practice squad in September. He played special teams in his only appearance. Davis spent the spring as the third safety. Lest you say, “Who cares about the No. 3 safety?” Henry Black played 262 snaps in that role last year. That’s 15.4 snaps per game.

Special Teams

Pat O'Donnell handles a low snap at practice. (Photo by USA Today Sports)

Veteran locks: K Mason Crosby, P Pat O’Donnell.

Rookie locks: None.

Veterans fighting for a spot: Steven Wirtel.

Extra point: Barring a late addition, the incumbent Wirtel will battle undrafted rookie Jack Coco. They were on equal footing throughout the offseason. Fun fact: Coco hasn’t snapped for a punt in a game since high school. The Packers are great at finding quality long snappers. They’re just bad at keeping them.