April brings plenty of speculation for teams needing a quarterback. But little is thought of the teams like the Green Bay Packers that don’t need quarterbacks. If 2023 proved anything, it’s that you don’t need a quarterback until you need a quarterback. The year of the backup quarterback abruptly became the headline for the 2023 season.
Injuries at the position derailed the hopes of teams like the Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, and Pittsburgh Steelers, among others.
The amount of contenders that had to play backup or third-string quarterbacks in 2023, coupled with the intriguing depth of this year’s upcoming draft class, makes for an interesting discussion of what the Green Bay Packers will do at the position.
3 Quarterbacks The Green Bay Packers Could Draft
Love is Him
Jordan Love is the starter for this team. In his first year as a starter, Love proved beyond all doubt that he deserved a long-term contract from the Packers. He finished top 10 in several categories, including touchdowns, yards, and QBR (per ESPN Stats). The way Love finished 2023, especially, shines bright as a point of optimism for the Packers moving forward.
But just because Love is entrenched as the quarterback of the future doesn’t mean that the Packers should eschew building the quarterback room. This is a model they have followed for decades. Dating back to Ron Wolf’s time with the organization in the 1990s, Green Bay has prioritized depth at quarterback.
Names like Aaron Brooks, Matt Hasselbeck, and Doug Pederson backed up Brett Favre. While the 2000s for Green Bay was defined by selecting Aaron Rodgers, the organization has shown they value quarterbacks. This 2024 draft class has a mix of intriguing prospects that could find homes on teams with established starters.
Potential Draft Fits
Jack Plummer
From Jake Browning to Brock Purdy, the NFL has recently seen young quarterbacks with extensive college experience rise to the occasion and keep their teams afloat when the starter goes down. Purdy and Browning both have different stories in the NFL, but Jake Plummer out of Louisville is a player that enters the draft having started 37 collegiate games at three different schools. His NFL path could follow Aidan O’Connell’s for the Raiders, who at one point beat Plummer out of a job while the two were playing at Purdue.
Plummer improved throughout his five years in college and could be an asset to a team like Green Bay. While Plummer doesn’t have the strongest arm, he has shown touch on his throws. Plummer is cerebral and has a prototypical size for the position. Plus, his experience in different systems should help raise his draft stock.
Devin Leary
Another quarterback who played a lot of games in college, Leary will enter the draft with different opinions on his potential. In his 42 total collegiate games, Leary threw for 85 touchdown passes. His best season came in 2021 while at NC State when he helped lead the Wolfpack to a few upset wins. Leary wasn’t surrounded by NFL talent in his collegiate stops, which means he was able to play well within the system and elevate players around him.
As a passer, Leary doesn’t have the biggest arm but can make throws at all levels of the field. He has experience working with an NFL mind, after spending 2023 with Liam Coen. The Senior Bowl practices have helped Leary boost his draft stock. However, he currently projects more of a day-three pick. Leary’s intangibles and experience make him one of the three quarterbacks the Packers could draft.
Jordan Travis
There’s a chance Travis goes undrafted. Once hard to imagine, Travis enters the NFL Draft with a checkered injury history. This could end up being a sticking point for teams. But with six years of college under his belt, Travis earned lots of starting experience. Travis improved as the 2022 season progressed, and also into 2023. He won his final sixteen games as a starter for Florida State. His injury was a big reason why their season fell apart at the end of 2023 and was effectively what kept the Seminoles out of the College Football Playoffs.
Travis will be knocked for his injuries, as well as his size. But the intrigue behind him as a prospect goes beyond what he did for Florida State in his final two years. As a passer, Travis has above-average ball placement. In 2023, he showed to be more confident in his arm on deeper throws. His release is also quick, and he’s good with his feet. At Florida State, receivers like Johnny Wilson and Keon Coleman made 50-50 balls look easy for Travis. But there’s a lot to like about his game, and his skill set could fit what the Packers are looking for in a backup quarterback.
Green Bay has found the answer to a very important question. But there are still prospects to watch as quarterbacks the Packers could draft.
Main Photo: Jerome Miron – USA Today Sports
