(Photo: Fox News)
The 2020 NFL Draft was different that year. Due to the pandemic, everything was virtual and Roger Goodell announced each pick from the basement in his home. Often, we look back at draft classes and don’t realize the big names to come out of that class. I’m beginning to see the same can be applied to the 2020 class. Joe Burrow was the first overall pick and also drafted Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, Tristan Wirfs, CeeDee Lamb, Brandon Aiyuk, Justin Jefferson, and Patrick Queen all to name a few. The Packers with the 26th pick in the first round drafted a Quarterback from Utah State named Jordan Love. This shocked many people, myself included, but I also understood it because Aaron Rodgers at the time was getting older and the Packers were looking at the future. This move also told me that Aaron wouldn’t be in a Packers uniform much longer and then came last April when the Packers traded him to the New York Jets and it felt like 2008 all over again when the Jets acquired Brett Favre from the Packers. Jordan officially became the starting Quarterback and now, the Packers have made him the highest-paid Quarterback in NFL history.
When the Packers drafted him, this reminded me so much of when they drafted Aaron Rodgers in 2005 when Brett was still the starting Quarterback. He sat on the bench and watched the Hall of Famer for three seasons before getting his shot and look what that became when he finally got his opportunity. All these years later, Jordan sat behind and watched a future Hall of Famer win two more league MVP awards. Jordan got his chance last year and took full advantage of it. Watching him in his debut season, the first thing I noticed is how he spreads the ball around to the open receiver which means he scans the entire field and reads before making a decision which is important for a Quarterback these days. What makes Jordan stand out is you have no idea where he’s going with the ball which means he goes through his progressions very well. Playing a Quarterback who doesn’t have a go-to receiver can be very challenging for a defense because you don’t know what to expect or who to zoom in on. I love Jordan’s (All Pun Intended!) patience in the pocket as he doesn’t rush anything or force it. If what he wants isn’t there, he’ll take it himself. Jordan is mobile himself with the ability to extend plays. Back to the pocket presence for a second, if I may. Moving outside of the pocket is one thing, but moving within the pocket is essential to a Quarterback’s success. Tom Brady made a living of being able to move within the pocket and well, look how he turned out. Jordan can make all the passes and will only get better in doing so.
Truthfully, he’s the perfect mix of Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. He has the gunslinger mentality of Brett and the accuracy of Aaron. Look how he throws off that backfoot, it’s very similar to Rodgers. In his first start, he carved up the Chicago Bears and after that game, I saw how many of his teammates rallied around him celebrating him and all. You didn’t necessarily see that with the previous Quarterback before Jordan. His best game was in the Wild Card round of the playoffs against the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas decided to play zone coverage and Jordan made them pay. Jordan finished that game completing 16 of his 21 pass attempts with 272 yards passing and three touchdowns in his playoff debut. In 32 years, the Packers have had a total of three Quarterbacks. One who’s a Hall of Famer, one who will be a Hall of Famer when he retires, and another whose potential is sky-high.
