2023 5th Round Pick #149 QB Sean Clifford

[Joemailman]

QB
Sean Clifford
FOLLOW
Penn State
Pre-Draft Analysis
Clifford is a four-year starter and the only quarterback in Penn State history to eclipse 10,000 passing yards. He's a natural leader with the scrambling ability to extend plays and the speed to run for first downs. -- Steve Muench

[MadScientist]

Highlights never show you everything, but he has good mobility, decent enough arm strength and is willing to throw it into tight windows. There's enough for the Packers to work with.

[RashanGary]

Quicker release than Jordan Love. Better mobility too.

[King Friday]

Spent 42 years in college. Didn’t really ever put it together in terms of reading defenses. I give him near zero chance of being a starting QB at the next level. May make a decent backup.

[Joemailman]

Spent 42 years in college. Didn’t really ever put it together in terms of reading defenses. I give him near zero chance of being a starting QB at the next level. May make a decent backup.

That's precisely what they drafted him for.

[pittstang5]

Didn't like this pick, especially in the 5th round.

It's a new day and I still dislike this pick.

Listening to Guteys interview last night - two things popped out.

1. This kid must have nailed his interview when they brought him in for a visit. Gutey was all but sucking his d!ck when talking about him.

2. I think Gutey panicked when some QBs started coming off the board in the late 4th/early 5th. Just something Gutey said last night, I can't remember what exactly, but it was about a QB being taken before the Pack in the 5th round and he thought there'd be a run on QBs and wanted to get Clifford, because of how they had him rated and there was drop off after him.
- Bah, I could be totally be making this up, but that's what I remember and thought last night.

I'd still prefer a veteran back up going into the season - keep this kid for PS fodder.

[run pMc]

I think Gutey panicked when some QBs started coming off the board in the late 4th/early 5th. Just something Gutey said last night, I can't remember what exactly, but it was about a QB being taken before the Pack in the 5th round and he thought there'd be a run on QBs and wanted to get Clifford, because of how they had him rated and there was drop off after him.
- Bah, I could be totally be making this up, but that's what I remember and thought last night.

I think this is why they took him. .thought I read somewhere that similarly ranked QB started coming off the board in a run and they wanted to get their guy before he was gone.
I agree with you that it's a reach pick. I thought he was a R7 or UDFA type.

He's better than Etling, and no threat to JLove.

[texaspackerbacker]

I'm definitely not as negative about this pick as the media pukes seem to be. Clifford was a decent college QB, and we probably needed a backup.

[Fritz]

Spent 42 years in college. Didn’t really ever put it together in terms of reading defenses. I give him near zero chance of being a starting QB at the next level. May make a decent backup.

[King Friday]

That's precisely what they drafted him for.

Mr Irrelevant last year proves it is stupid to draft a QB who has no chance at actually starting. If Clifford was capable of being an NFL starter, you would’ve seen more progression to his game in his 42 years in college.

[Fritz]

Well, he did pick up a few degrees along the way. That has to count for something, especially since it doesn't look like he'll have a long NFL career.

Or maybe he'll be one of those good-guy types who hangs around the NFL as a professional backup/good team guy for seven or eight years. Who knows?

[Harlan Huckleby]

Or maybe he'll be one of those good-guy types who hangs around the NFL as a professional backup/good team guy for seven or eight years. Who knows?

Scott Tolzien

[King Friday]

Scott Tolzien

Precisely…who was undrafted. Clifford was taken WAY too early for what his ceiling will be.

[HarveyWallbangers]

His tape isn't as bad as I expected. So far, I've watched the Purdue and Minnesota games. He's mobile, he's pretty accurate. Had a ton of drops in the Purdue game. His arm strength looks marginal though. I'm going to watch the Auburn and Ohio State tape next. If I had watched his tape before the draft, I think I'd still have a 7th round/UDFA grade, but I think he'd slide in between O'Connell (who had a 6th/7th round grade from me) and Bagent/Duggan (who had 7th/UDFA grade from me). I would have preferred Hall, but GB hasn't selected a short QB since Thompson took over. The guy has battled through adversity, but he was named captain for four straight years and may have had his best two games in his last two games (victories over Michigan State and a Rose Bowl win over Utah where he completed 78% of his passes with 6 TDs and 0 interceptions). We'll see.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Scott Tolzien

Athletically, they aren't comparable. Tolzien ran a 5.06 40. This guy ran a 4.62 40. The interception in the Purdue game looks like it might have been a miscommunication between him and the WR (as he was throwing the ball, the WR broke inside while he threw the ball up the field more), but I liked that he came back and led the game winning drive.

He has pretty good poise in the pocket. Has a good feel for the rush. I don't love that he stops his feet completely at times. He also tends to lock onto his first read too much.