First Round Pick 2020, Jordan Love

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Ryan Wood @ByRyanWood
#Packers GM Brian Gutekunst says he has not yet spoken to Aaron Rodgers, but says "he's a pro." Calls this a long-term decision.

"The way things worked out, this was the best decision for the #Packers."

Gutekunst says he "you never really know" on whether teams behind him are willing to move up to draft he same prospect he wants, "but we thought that was a possibility" with teams trying to draft Jordan Love.

Gutekunst says not fair to Jordan Love right now to say the new first-round pick will be Aaron Rodgers' eventual replacement as #Packers starting QB. "We've got the best quarterback in the National Football League, and we plan to have him for awhile, competing for championships."

Gutekunst on what he likes about QB Jordan Love: "He's a very natural thrower, can make all the throws. He's a very good athlete, he has the size we look for. There's some rawness to him, but we feel like he has everything in front of him."

Gutekunst says Jordan Love's dip in production last season at Utah State was a matter of him still developing. "He went through some moments this year that he'd probably like to have back, but getting through the other side of that was important."

Gutekunst says he didn't have Jordan Love in mind specifically when he expressed willingness to draft a QB in first round back in February before the combine, just a QB in general. But he's been aware of Love since last summer, obviously had interest.

New #Packers QB Jordan Love says Aaron Rodgers has not reached out to him yet. What kind of relationship does he hope to have with Rodgers? "I'm already knowing that I'll be able to learn a lot from Aaron Rodgers. He's one of the greats of the game."

Jordan Love had 6 picks his first season at Utah State. Six his second season. Then 17 his third, last year.
What does he make of that?
"I was just trying to force balls and do too much. Try to make plays when plays weren't needed."

Jordan Love says he has a lot to learn, from playbook to mechanics, and he's looking forward to opportunity to learn from Aaron Rodgers: "Just being able to sit behind him and learn, what's better than that? So I think it's a great situation for me."

Jordan Love says he thinks he'll be wearing No. 10: "I'm not sure if that's set in stone yet, but that's what I've heard."

Jordan Love on what he brings to the #Packers: "I would say playmaker. That's what you need at the quarterback spot. That's what they've got right now. ... Just a playmaker when the play breaks down and making off-schedule throw.s"

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[RashanGary]

Intriguing. If he's good, he'll make the defense better by being a scout team hero

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[Bretsky]

Intriguing. If he's good, he'll make the defense better by being a scout team hero

It is time to predict he contributes more then Baconator #1 in 2020 ?

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Harv or Joe, can you put your best scouting report source in this thread for Love? Thanks.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Here are some:

Jordan Love isn’t without his warts but he possesses a high-level physical skill set and peaks on tape that reveal the ceiling of a potential dynamic NFL starting quarterback. His arm talent and mobility is perfect for the trends of today’s NFL and there is no limitations to what he can do on the field. The full playbook is open for Love and then some. With that said, he does need to make notable strides in several key areas including decision-making, timing and accuracy to achieve his ceiling. An early investment in Love is a bet on yourself to be able to develop his overall game but his upside is worth the calculated risk.

Summary: Jordan Love is an incomplete passer who has understandably attracted the NFL eye with the ceiling offered by his natural talent. Love's natural release of the football, ability to throw receivers covered to uncovered with touch, and extension of plays all profile as a high-caliber playmaker in the NFL in the mold of a Mahomes, Wilson, or Rodgers. With that said, nothing about Love's play is yet normalized: he does not set his throwing base, get into his drop, identify his read, or place the football with anything resembling consistency. Love will be picked on by NFL defenders if forced to start early in his career, and I believe he is a strong candidate to sit for a season as he adjusts to the speed of NFL play and scripts for himself a better response to pressure packages and safety rotations. Love is a boom/bust prospect who will be overdrafted for his boom, and his stock is conditional on landing with a team willing to do the hard work of developing him.

Jordan aligns at QB for the Aggie spread offense, mostly from the gun. He has good overall athleticism for the position. He has a Carson Wentz like windup and delivery of the football and although he has a quick release, getting his operation more efficient will speed up his delivery even more. He is quick in his drop and shows good foot work in the pocket. Due to having an offensive line that struggled with protecting, he spends a lot of time retreating and throwing off his back foot. However, when he has a clean pocket he has shown the ability to deliver the ball with zip and accuracy. He was also forced to make quick decisions and was not a good decision maker in these instances. His mechanics began to suffer as the game progressed when faced with consistent pressure from the rush. He can change his arm angle on check-downs and other short area throws to fit in tight windows. He does a good job of helping the protection with his decisiveness and by getting the ball out quickly. He has good escapability and does a very good job of extending plays with his legs. His quick release, decisiveness and internal timer allow him to makes plays on schedule. His good athleticism, ability to improvise and his good mobility allow him to make plays off schedule, giving the offense another opportunity. He does a very good job of keeping his eyes downfield when escaping the pocket and has shown good accuracy and touch on the move. He has shown good accuracy and touch on intermediate to deep throws, putting the ball on the number away from the defender and allowing the receiver to catch and run. He needs to do a better job of throwing the ball away to avoid negative plays and not forcing the ball into tight windows. In the NFL, I believe this player develops into a starter by year 2. He will need to break some bad habits, learn to make better decisions under duress and trust his protection up front. He will also need time to develop other nuances of the position, like reading defenses from under center and manipulating safeties with his eyes. With that said, his skill set is a good fit for todays NFL. The arrow is definitely pointing up with this player and his best football is ahead of him.

Player Summary - Jordan Love has franchise quarterback qualities and should be regarded as a prospect with a Pro Bowl ceiling. Love's statistical regression in 2019 isn't indicative of a regression in skills or decision making — was a victim of poor supporting cast in many instances. Love will need patience and must go to a team with coaching staff able to nurture, develop and cater passing schemes to where he thrives. He isn't plug and play but he's a potential game changing QB.

Dynamic signal-caller with a flick-of-the-wrist throwing style, good touch, and plenty of athleticism―but big questions around his decision-making and ball security

MAIN SELLING POINT: Tools, tools, tools
SCOUTING REPORT
Love is as big of a traits-based prospect as we’ll see in this draft. The 6-foot-3, 224-pound quarterback has prototypical size, athleticism, and a strong arm but took a massive step back statistically this year (partially due to a coaching change and a lack of surrounding talent). He tossed 20 touchdowns to 17 interceptions after posting a 32-to-6 touchdown-to-interception line the season prior. But his skill set and potential ceiling as a passer are sure to intrigue a few teams―and it’s notable that less-than-impressive final stat lines didn’t cause Josh Allen or Daniel Jones to fall too far in recent years.

Love has showed off flashes of incredible touch and precise ball placement to every level of the field while operating primarily in a shotgun offense; he has the ability to manipulate defenders with his eyes; he has a pretty, catchable deep ball; and he shows willingness to attempt tight-window throws against one-on-one coverage. He throws well on the move, and when plays break down, he has the athleticism to pick up yards on the ground (he ran for 403 yards and scored nine touchdowns in three seasons at Utah State). Love can strafe, backpedal, and keep himself in a throwing posture while avoiding the rush in a muddied pocket, and he never seems fazed―even when the gates of hell apparently open up in the stands.

That said, Love’s big plays are too often punctuated by poor ones. His ball placement is erratic at times, which is a trait that could get him in trouble. He has the ability to toggle through throws of varying velocity, but there were times when his default was to loft up a rainbow when a bullet throw was necessary. Overall, Love created far too many turnovers, and appeared to predetermine his targets while ignoring coverages.

WHY HE COULD RISE
Love has scintillating arm talent and a high ceiling as a passer; his skill set should translate well to the combine and pro day environments.

WHY HE COULD FALL
He comes with a low floor, he turned the ball over far, far too much in 2019, and he may need some time as a backup to refine his game.