The Packers traded up to draft Jordan Love … Aaron Rodgers is going to hate this so much
The Green Bay Packers traded up to draft Utah State quarterback Jordan Love. Aaron Rodgers is going to hate this move so much, and he should.
Aaron Rodgers wanted the Packers to spend their first round pick on a wide receiver to help their offense. Instead, they took his successor.
When the Packers made the trade to move up in Round 1 most people expected them to draft a wide receiver to help Aaron Rodgers win games immediately. The decision to, instead, spend the pick on Rodgers’ ultimate successor isn’t going to sit well with the future Hall of Famer.
For the record, the pick makes sense for Green Bay’s front office. Rodgers is 36-years-old and isn’t going to run the Packers offense for too many more seasons. Drafting a young quarterback to learn from him makes a lot of sense for the team’s long-term health.
That doesn’t mean Rodgers is going to be enthused by the transaction. He keenly understands the narrow window he has to win another Super Bowl with the Packers. Rodgers also desperately understands the lack of quality wide receivers that are currently employed by Green Bay.
Davante Adams is an All-Pro player at the position, but the options behind him are shockingly slim. The Packers could have opted to take advantage of the exceptionally deep class of wide receivers available in this year’s draft class. Potential starters like Michael Pittman and Denzel Mims were still available when the Packers made the move to draft Love. Either player would have drastically improved Green Bay’s offense immediately.
The question now becomes how the Packers will treat the rest of this year’s draft. It’s possible that Rodgers’ potential anger could be reduced by spending a few of the team’s remaining picks on weapons to help make his life easier. Even if that happens, Rodgers will remember what the franchise chose to prioritize first.
Next. 2020 NFL Draft tracker: Grades, instant reaction and more. dark
Love may ultimately become a star for the Packers, but he’s not going to help Rodgers win games in 2020. Green Bay officials will need to work hard to make sure Rodgers doesn’t blow up at the team’s latest personnel decision. Ironically, Rodgers may now feel the same anger that Brett Favre did years ago when the Packers drafted his successor.